all about How To : April 2017

Jumat, 28 April 2017

What Does It Mean to Be ‘Off Your Feed’?

off your feed

Have you ever been off your feed?

If so, you probably felt a little off, even sick. Definitely not hungry.

The phrase off your feed was first used in the 1800s by farmers when their animals refused to eat. A cow who turned away from her hay, for example, would be said to be off her feed.

We can also find the phrase in the diaries of Captain R.F. Scott, the British explorer who, in 1911, set out for the South Pole. Scott brought along sled dogs and ponies, who proved essential to his campaign. Scott’s anguish when the ponies took ill comes through in his writing. Here are a few entries from his diary:

Thursday, June 15. Jimmy Pigg had an attack of colic this afternoon … on return to the stable he was off his feed. This evening the Soldier tells me he has eaten his food, so I hope all be well again.

Friday, July 14. We have had a horrible fright and are not yet out of the wood. At noon yesterday one of the ponies, “Bones,” suddenly went off his feed … Towards midnight I felt very downcast. It is so very certain that we cannot afford to lose a single pony …

Sunday, July 16. Another slight alarm this morning. The pony “China” went off his feed at breakfast time and lay down twice. He was up and well again in half an hour; but what on earth is it that is disturbing these poor beasts?

The ponies recovered, but perhaps their distress was a harbinger of what was to come. Scott eventually reached the pole, only to discover a Norwegian flag already marking the spot. Roald Amundsen, another explorer, had beat him there by five weeks.

Disheartened, Scott and his men began the march back to their base camp. They never made it. Waiting for a scheduled relief crew that never came, they perished in the frigid cold, wrapped in their sleeping bags. Scott’s diary was found tucked beneath his arm, inscribed with these final words: “It seems a pity, but I do not think I can write more. For God’s sake look after our people.”

Today, when we say people are “off their feed,” we’re not always talking about appetite. We often mean they’re just not acting like themselves. But what exactly is “off” is unclear; maybe it’s their feed.

So, that’s your tidbit for today. To be off your feed literally means to have lost your appetite; figuratively, it means that something indefinable is not quite right.

Samantha Enslen runs Dragonfly Editorial. You can find her at dragonflyeditorial.com or @DragonflyEdit.

Sources

Ammer, Christine. Off one’s feed. American Heritage Dictionary of Idioms, 2nd ed. Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, 2013.

Oxford English Dictionary, online edition. Oxford University Press. Feed (subscription required, accessed February 26, 2017).

Scott, Robert Falcon. Scott’s Last Expedition. Vol. I, Being the Journals of Captain R. F. Scott, R.N., C.V.O. Dodd, Mead and Company, 1913 (accessed February 27, 2017).

10 Ways to Make Bath Time More Fun and Relaxing

The end of the day can get a bit hectic as you scramble to wrap up all the loose ends you need to complete before bedtime. Whether you’ve been at the office, chasing kids all day long or just had “one of those days” the last thing you need is to hassle with your kids over taking a bath.

Bath time should ideally be a soothing experience where families can quiet down and transition from frenzied to a relaxed state. Here are ten ways to clean up your bath time routine and add some more fun and relaxation to the mix.

1. Change of Scenery

If your family has more than one bathroom, sometimes a simple change of scenery is all you need to add some excitement into your kid’s bath routine. Let your child have his/her bath in your bathroom tonight. Dim the lights and place a few flameless candles in the room to set a more soothing tone.

2. Add Fun Music

Surprise your child with some upbeat music while he/she bathes tonight. Pick some of their favorite sing-a-longs or tunes from a movie that they love and add a festive touch to tubby time.

3. Grooming Accessories

Stock up on some fun grooming accessories like nail brushes and soft loofah sponges and let your child buff his own nails as you gently massage his back with a soapy loofah. This is primo time for your little one to enjoy some quality time with you while he/she enjoys the calming, warm water.

4. Treat Them

One great and unexpected joy for kids is to indulge in a cool treat in the tub. Once they are settled into the bath, serve up an ice-cold, popsicle or frozen fudgesicle. Yum!

5. New PJs

Bath time in itself can be a great way to unwind after a crazy day, but there’s another element that can also kick it up a notch, and that’s a pair of fun, trendy new pajamas. Once the last bubbles slowly go down the drain, wrap your little love up in a plush terry towel and surprise them with a cool pair of new PJs.

6. Color the Bath Water

There are lots of new safe dyes on the market. Pick a crisp color of ocean blue or teal green and let your cherubs pretend they are fish.

7. Noodle Time

One of the biggest highlights for a summer swim are those fun pool foam noodles. Bath time can be taken to a whole new level by cutting the noodles into 4–6 inch pieces and let them float all over the tub. They can be used for building blocks, and fun obstacles in the tub.

8. Bubble Machine

Add a real wow factor to your child’s bath by incorporating a bubble machine. There are many inexpensive ones available at local discount stores or on Amazon.com.

9. Glow in the Dark Soap Paint

Dim the bathroom lights and let your kids go wild with tubes of trendy glow in the dark soap paint and bubbles. This creative experience will bring an entirely new energy to your child’s bath time.

10. Get Artsy

Art projects are a lot of fun and kids absolutely adore them. Parents love to encourage their kid’s creative side with materials such as finger paints, but the mess can be a real deterrent. Bath time is a wonderful opportunity to let your child’s creative side soar. There are many finger paints and other artistic materials available for use in your very own bath tub.

For more ideas visit the Mighty Mommy page.

6 Effective Ways to Prepare for Your Big Moment

A big moment is a big deal, whether you’re a seventh-grader trying out for the school soccer team in front of your classmates or a Tenth Circuit judge trying out for a little ol’ promotion in front of the entire Senate Judiciary Committee. Whatever your big moment—an interview, a performance, a race—it’s the culmination of your hard work, time, and energy.

You know you’ve prepared. You know you’re ready. But your anxiety is making you feel like you just drank a tanker truck of espresso and you’re biting your nails like a woodchipper. You’ve been told to take a few deep breaths, but that feels about as effective as a parasol in a tornado.

What to do? This week, here are six strategies for your big moment besides “picture your audience in their underwear.”

**Tip #1: Set a process goal rather than an outcome goal.**

While it’s important to aim high, some goals are more intimidating than others. Approach a big moment with the mindset of “I only have one shot,” or “Ace this presentation or die,” and you’re pretty much guaranteed a one-way ticket to chokesville.

Instead of setting a goal based on only narrow parameters of achievement—”Get a million dollars of funding for my startup,” “Debut my novel on the bestseller lists,” set what’s called a process goal: evaluate yourself based on the journey, not the outcome.

An excellent process goal is: “Learn all I can.” For example, instead of “Make my new restaurant #1 in the city,” try the process goal of: “Learn all I can about launching a new restaurant.”

Another great process goal is to “share.” Share your knowledge, share your passion. For example, swap “Give a flawless presentation” for “Share what I know with energy and conviction.”

What does this do? It lessens the pressure, which frees you up to be more flexible and resilient, and ultimately do a better job than staying thumbscrewed to a narrow outcome goal. Indeed, any setbacks or challenges can be folded into your new goal—it’s all part of the process.

Tip #2: Picture what could go wrong.

You’ve undoubtedly been told to visualize your success, whether by conventional wisdom or the decidedly-not-evidence-based theories of The Secret.

But rather than simply visualizing landing the job or finishing the marathon, add a couple of steps. First, think through the benefits of achieving your goal. Why are you doing this? What do you stand to gain?

But then, also visualize the obstacles in your way, whether it’s technical difficulties with your microphone, getting heckled during your debut stand-up routine, or rolling your ankle at mile 23.

Why do this? A study in the Journal of Experimental Social Psychology found that mere positive visualization can be counterproductive. It saps motivation and energy because your brain is fooled into thinking achieving your goal will be a piece of cake.

Instead, critical visualizations—imagining both positive and negative aspects of your big moment—keep you motivated, push you to prepare, and keep your energy high for the long haul.

Tip #3: Power pose, but in motion.

Those of us not recently returned from Neptune have undoubtedly heard of power posing—holding an expansive, confident posture like Wonder Woman—before a big moment to increase confidence and presence.

But guess what? Power posing doesn’t have to be motionless. You can amp up your energy and mood while in motion as well. A study in the journal Biofeedback found that walking in a slouched position for two to three minutes subjectively drained energy levels, especially for those with pre-existing symptoms of depression. By contrast, skipping for two or three minutes created a subjective increase in energy levels.

You don’t have to skip down the hall at work (though that would be awesome), but do put a deliberate spring in your step, and watch your energy follow.

Tip #4: The Mona Lisa smile.

The Mona Lisa smile also uses your body to influence your emotions, except rather than confidence and presence, we’re aiming for calm and serenity. It’s officially a technique called half-smile from dialectical behavioral therapy, and it’s used to help increase distress tolerance, also known as not losing it when the going gets rough.

To try it out, arrange your face to mimic the Mona Lisa’s barely-there smile. Then, deliberately relax your eyes, jaw, scalp, and shoulders. The Mona Lisa smile isn’t a tight-lipped grimace—it’s serene and steady, a great antidote for when you’re feeling anything but.

Indeed, think of the serenity prayer and use the Mona Lisa smile during those moments where you’re trying really hard to “accept what you cannot change.”

Beware a creeping sense of 'I don’t care.'

Tip #5: Resist the urge to disengage.

You know when it’s happening—you pre-emptively de-value your big moment in order to protect yourself from potential failure. You may start thinking: “I don’t even want this.” “Who am I kidding?” “This isn’t what really matters.”

Now, it’s fine to get some perspective: “In five years, will anyone really remember if I screwed up?” or “What’s most important is the health of my family, not this job offer.”

But beware a creeping sense of “I don’t care.” Disengagement and devaluing are designed to protect your psyche if things go wrong, but they may also lead to a self-fulfilling prophecy of failure. If you convince yourself you don’t care, you won’t put your best foot forward.

So remember why you went through all the trouble to prepare for your big moment. Stay engaged, stay hungry. If your big moment doesn’t turn out as you planned, so be it. At least you stayed engaged all the way to the end. By contrast, if you disengage, you’ll always wonder what might have been.

Tip #6: Affirm what you’re good at, even if it has nothing to do with the moment.

We often try to psych ourselves up by telling ourselves we’re good at what we’re about to do.“I’m gonna crush this interview.” “I’m gonna run the race of my life.” “I own this Tracy Turnblad role.” But sometimes that just feels like a lie.

Instead of empty cheerleading, try affirming the values and actions that you believe deeply--affirm those things that make you, you--even if it has nothing to do with your big moment. Murmuring to yourself, “I’m a really patient father,” “I’ve got 25 years of sobriety under my belt,” or “I believe in providing my kids the best education possible,” may seem nonsensical when you’re about to step onstage for your Hairspray audition, but it works by reinforcing your belief in yourself and your values.

So next time you find yourself in your personal equivalent of Eminem’s final rap battle in 8 Mile, put a Mona Lisa smile on your face, a spring in your step, true-to-the-core affirmations in your heart, and vow to learn all you can. You'll turn your biggest moment into your biggest success.

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Image courtesy of Shutterstock.

Kamis, 27 April 2017

How Human Language Is Different From Animal Communication

human language or animal communication

Language is one of the most remarkable characteristics that separates humans from other animals. Despite the many remarkable abilities of non-human animals, and despite the hopes and dreams of many animal lovers, animals do not have language like humans do—but they do have basic ways of communicating with each other, which we’ll explore later in the episode. In addition, no animal is able to acquire human language. Like many urban legends, such myths are widespread! Let’s start with a few animal communication systems; then, with what makes human languages different; and finally, we’ll explain why no animal has been able to learn a human language—despite what the Internet may suggest.

How Do We Know that Animal Communication Is More Limited than Ours?

Animal communication systems are both interesting and impressive, but very limited in what they are able to express. Some animals seem to “talk” to each other, leading people to believe that because we can’t understand animals, they may have a language as complex as ours. Yet, this is not in fact the case. We are, however, able to research and uncover much of what animals express to each other. For example, you may have heard that bees can do a communicative dance to convey the approximate location and even the general quality of a food source. However, bees have no options to “talk” about any other subjects. We know this because of experiments that made honeybees walk back to their nests. These bees described how long they traveled to get home—indicating a very far-away food source—but they weren’t able to explain that they had not flown back or what had happened. (2)

Another example is research using spectrograms to measure the amplitude and sound frequency of dog barks. This research shows that dog barks can be divided into sub-types that express different emotions such as wanting to play vs. greeting other creatures. However, it can’t confirm for certain any consistent meanings behind the sub-types of barks, or even that dogs perceive differences. (6) Other research does find an array of emotions that dog barks express, including distress calls, protests, play, threats, and warnings. (1) But, as we’ll see shortly, this repertoire is a fraction of that of human language.

A third example is spiders, which have an intricate systems of courtship, including both visual and auditory cues like dancing, vibrating, thumping, and signaling. These cues vary, depending on whether the prospective female is in or out of her nest, and can also be used to communicate aggressive emotions to other male spiders. (4). Yet, the gentleman spider’s mating ritual is fixed; it only has one way to explain itself to the lady spider. (2) In contrast, the thought of humans having only one single sentence to express affection for another would be very peculiar.

A way to sum up what these examples have in common is to say that they are stimulus controlled. Animals communicate when prompted to by stimuli like hunger, danger, and other immediate circumstances, but they do not have communicative choices, like people do. When we experience an environmental stimulus like someone accidentally running into us, we may shriek in pain inadvertently, but we have speaking options too, such as “Look where you’re going!” or “It’s OK—my fault,” or “Fancy running into you here!”

It is true that we have not tested the communicative competency of every animal out there. (3) However, the nature of human language and cognition are such that linguists aren’t holding their breath for the discovery of an animal communication system that even approaches human-language complexity or spontaneity. Human language is located in the language-centers of the brain, and these aren’t shared by animals.

Why Is it Inaccurate to Say That Animals Have their Own “Languages”? The Remarkable Features and Versatility of All Human Languages

We now know how limited animal communication is in what it can express. In contrast, one of the hallmarks that makes human language unique is its capacity for creativity and lack of limitations on what it is capable of expressing. (2) For example, people can talk about true things, or we can lie about things; we can discuss abstract concepts like beauty, war, or kindness. We can give each other directions for travel or instructions for how to bake a cake! Another ability we take for granted is being able to discuss stuff that does not exist in the present moment, or, that is not in our purview at the time of the utterance, or even something that will never happen, or could never be. Some linguists call this ability displacement, and note that it has never been observed in animal communication. (5)

People can lie and discuss abstract concepts.

Negation is another feature that is both exclusive to and present in every single human language—including those found in indigenous cultures without advanced technology. Animals are not able to express negation. (3) While some may say that their dog can “let them know” that it does “not” want to eat something by turning away from it, this is not the same as expressing negation grammatically (linguistically). For example, you could close your eyes, or be on the phone, and hear someone utter the words “I do not want to eat these anchovies on my pizza.” Even without context, visual information, knowing the person, or even seeing the person or the anchovies, you would comprehend this negative utterance perfectly, as long as you are a speaker of the language in which it is spoken. This is another distinguishing feature between human language and animal communication. We can easily combine displacement with negation to illustrate this: Imagine a dog explaining that it doesn’t mind that you are out of a certain doggie treat, because it liked that treat last year, but doesn’t like that treat so much anymore.

The number of words in human languages can vary, but human languages have hundreds of thousands of words. (2) Research on the jumping spider, on the other hand, finds 24 total signals that the male spider produces in order to entice the female spider to mate. (4) Other research finds 11 basic vocal sound types in wolves, and as few as 4 in some dog breeds. (1) Even if one were to argue that the basic sound types of the dogs and wolves could be akin to human language phones (those are discrete sounds, like consonants and vowels), instead of words, we know that the bark types aren’t combined to form meaningful units, the way sounds combine to form words, but rather are repeated over and over, one bark type at a time.

What About the Claims That Birds Can Learn Languages?

The way that parrots and other birds can imitate human language words is an impressive feat. So, what is really going on when birds seem to say words? Well, for one thing, and for the most part, talking birds’ utterances don’t mean anything. Bird-owning readers may agree that a bird might say “hello,” over and over and over, in a way that a person over the age of two never would, or, say “hello” when someone is leaving instead of arriving. Unlike when people say words, birds that say words are doing something more like playing a game.

People, again, choose what we want to say and when, as opposed to producing language inadvertently. When people are hungry, we can choose to tell this fact to someone, or we can choose to stay quiet about it. When someone arrives, we are free to greet the person, or ignore the person, and when someone leaves, we are very unlikely to part ways with a “hello.” These birds are brilliant imitators, but true human language is generated by choice and intention, not by imitation.

Humans can break words down into separate sounds.

Talking birds also can’t generate new sentences by combining words they have learned, nor can they segment the words they have learned. The utterances of birds can’t be broken down into discrete units. Think of a bird who has learned to say “Polly wanna cracker.” We could ask an English-speaking child to say the same sentence, and then say, “Now say ‘Polly.’ Now, say ‘want.’ Say ‘cracker,’” with great success, and without any crackers or Pollys nearby for visual cues. I’m sure you can see how asking the parrot to do the same would be an exercise in frustration. In addition, we could ask the child to make the “p” sound, or the “ah” sound in Polly, or the “l” sound, because human language speakers produce words by combining discrete sounds. Good luck asking a parrot to isolate each sound in a word or sentence it has learned!

But What about the African Grey?

A quick YouTube search will reveal remarkable abilities in certain African Grey birds, who seemingly illustrate the ability to answer questions about shapes and colors, and to have meaning attached to the words they have learned. Although the intelligence of these birds is truly astounding, and it is a step beyond the simple imitations of a Parakeet, it is simple to explain how unlike human language these feats are. Just compare this to the words that a dog can comprehend/associate with certain actions, like “sit,” “heel,” etc. Associating a word with its meaning is not the same as being a speaker of the language.

Further, while the African Grey can answer questions, you would be hard-pressed to find a bird who could ask a fully-formed question due to a desire to find out the answer! Also, one could argue that the way dogs know a walk is coming when they hear the sound of a leash jingle is no different from knowing what the sound “sit” means, after repeated exposure to the sound and the event co-occurring. In other words, animals can associate non-linguistic sounds with meaning, too, not only linguistic sounds.

Can Non-Human Primates Learn Languages?

We’ve all heard convincing stories about non-human primates, such as chimpanzees being taught human sign language. By now, you can probably think of many aspects of true human language that we would never see a chimpanzee reproduce. Human signed languages have grammatical markers that make a word plural, and ways to indicate verb tense, plus many other complexities, but those features have not been produced by any chimps.

An ape named Washoe learned more than 100 signs (5), and Alex the African Grey also knew more than 100 words, but even if 100 could compare to the hundreds of thousands in a human language, “knowing” a language is infinitely more than memorizing words in a dictionary. From this, we are led to the conclusion that no chimpanzee has ever actually learned a human language. Research also finds that these animals use what they learned from us to play or imitate (like the parrot Alex, who sometimes chose to name every color except the correct one on purpose, or the ape, who frequently continued to sign while humans signed to her—not showing much intention to communicate). (5)

Symbol Learning versus Language Acquisition

Finally, the most important difference in the animals to whom people have tried to teach language is … just that: They were taught! All of these documented cases of word associations learned by animals required extensive training over long periods of time, from the chimpanzee in the lab to your pet dog at home. There is no animal in existence who has learned any amount of human vocabulary with attached meanings by mere exposure alone—they are always explicitly and painstakingly trained to do this. This is a critical and distinct difference from the process through which human children—at ages that precede being able to use a spoon, or be toilet-trained—are able to comprehend and produce complicated sentences, with clear intentions and need to communicate, without any instruction at all. (For more information about how we know that children learn language by exposure and spontaneous interaction alone, check out this article.)

Without exposure to humans, primates in the wilderness do not sign, and parrots imitate whatever sounds they hear, such as the calls of other animals. This critical fact makes any animal accomplishment in the realm of human language a fundamentally different process, as does the fact that a chimp using sign language with other chimps is pretty far-fetched.

Take note, animal lovers! Establishing these facts about people and other creatures by no means claims that humans are “superior.” Animals do an infinite number of remarkable feats that we can’t do! It is common knowledge that dogs can smell and hear remarkably better we can, and that dolphins can hold their breath for far longer. However, just as people could not learn how to spin a spider web or see in the dark with the acuity of a cat, it is just as inaccurate to claim that a non-human primate could learn a human language at a fraction of the level that all humans do—especially when we understand and compare the process to the speed and effortlessness with which human children do so. (2) Some may even argue that hoping for non-human animals to talk is anthropomorphizing and equating speech with intelligence. It is more factual and accurate to evaluate and admire the intelligence of an animal by its own innate biological abilities, not by how much human language it can “learn” or respond to. In fact, the way humans and animals can bond and connect without language makes it all the more remarkable.

Syelle Graves has two master's degrees in linguistics. You can read more about her at syellegraves.com.

Sources

1. Feddersen-Petersen, D. 2000. Vocalization of European wolves and various dog breeds. Arch

Tierz, 43(4), 387–397.

2. Fromkin, V., Rodman, R., & Hyams, N. 2011. An Introduction to Language. 9^th Ed. Wadsworth, Cengage.

3. Jackendoff, R. How did language begin? Linguistic Society of America.

4. Jackson, R. 1978. An analysis of alternative mating tactics of the jumping spider. The Journal of Arachnology 5, 185–230.

5. McWhorter, J. 2004. The story of human language part I. The Teaching Company.

6. Yin, S., & McCowan, B. 2004. Barking in domestic dogs. Animal Behavior, 68.

Images courtesy of Shutterstock.

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9 DIY Money-Saving Air Fresheners

EasyAir FreshenersYou Can MakeatHome

Coffee Beans

Here’s an ingenious idea for an elegant looking decoration that also smells wonderful! Place coffee beans in votive holders or small bowls, then add tea light candles. They’ll cast a pretty glow and make your home smell like coffee! Use vanilla-scented tea lights if you love the smell French vanilla coffee as much as we do!

Distilled Water, Rubbing Alcohol, and Essential Oil

Make your own natural room freshener! In a spray bottle, combine one cup of distilled water, one cup of rubbing alcohol, and a few drops of your favorite essential oil (lemon, lavender, and peppermint would be good choices here). Shake well before each use. It’s cheaper than Febreeze and works just as well!

Water and Baking Soda

Here’s an easy spray that will completely neutralize household odors for mere pennies. Fill a two-cup spray bottle with water and add two tablespoons of baking soda. Shake before spritzing. You can also add your favorite essential oil for a fresh scent!

Onions

To get rid of that overwhelming paint odor after you’ve redone a room, place a bowl or two of onion slices in the room. They will absorb the smell of the paint.

Apples

Did you know that a bowl of sliced apples will remove the smell of cigarette smoke in an enclosed space? The next time you have a smoky party, cut up some apples and leave them around the house before you go to bed.

Baking Soda and Essential Oil

Put a half cup of baking soda in a jar and then take your favorite essential oil and put about 10 drops into the baking soda. Mix well. Next, find a cute piece of fabric from your scraps collection and cut it into a circle slightly larger than the top of the jar. Finally, place the fabric on top of the jar and tie a ribbon around the fabric and jar to secure it. Now you have an adorable air freshener that brightens any room!

Lemon Juice

Avoid all the chemicals in store-bought air freshener sprays with this homemade version make with lemon juice. Lemons are natural deodorizers and will give your home a pleasing scent, while keeping the air safe for children, pets, and plants. Combine one teaspoon of baking soda with two teaspoons of lemon juice in a spray bottle. Add two cups of hot water and shake the mixture until the baking soda dissolves. Let cool. Spray as needed when things get stinky!

Vanilla

If you love the aroma of vanilla, make an air freshener using vanilla’s enticing scent. Just take a small jar and place several cotton balls inside. Squeeze a few drops of vanilla extract onto the cotton balls. Before putting the cover on the jar, use a nail to puncture a few holes into it and voilà! You’ve got your very own vanilla air freshener!

Refills

Do you have a plug-in air freshener? You may be able to refill it without buying costly refills that contain toxic chemicals. Instead, use essential oil, which comes in a variety of scents and can be found online or in health-food stores. Remove the wick from the bulb, fill with half water and half essential oil, give it a shake, and put the wick back in. Then plug in for a pleasing scent!

For everyday tips and lifehacks, tune in to the Who Knew podcast on Apple Podcasts and Stitcher! And don't forget to follow us on Facebook and Twitter.

Image courtesy of Shutterstock.

Turning Light into a Lifestyle: Q&A with SkinnyTaste's Gina Homolka

Turning Light Into a Lifestyle: A Conversation with Gina Homolka

This episode is part of a special series with author Peter Gethers, best-selling author, publisher, and screenwriter. His latest book, My Mother's Kitchen, is available for purchase at Barnes & Noble, Amazon, Indiebound, Booksamillion, and Apple.

This week, Peter Gethers chats with author, photographer, and blogger Gina Homolka, creator of the SkinnyTaste brand. Since 2014, Gina has grown her website Skinnytaste.com to a community with thousands of monthly viewers and published two cookbooks with a third on the way. Listen to this week's full podcast in the top right hand player or on Apple Podcasts or Stitcher to hear more about Gina's amazing success story, including:

How the blog propelled her to success
The methodology behind "light" cooking
Where she draws inspiration for new recipes and book ideas (hint: it's when she's not working!)
The importance of social media
And much more!

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Gina Homolka headshot

Gina Homolka is an author, photographer and recipe developer of Skinnytaste.com which features delicious, healthy, low fat, family-friendly recipes several times per week and Skinny Bits, where she answers cooking questions, health tips, reviews and giveaways. Her books are The SkinnyTaste Cookbook and SkinnyTaste Fast and Slow.

4 Second Uses for Household Objects

Bubble Wrap

Have leftover bubble wrap? Use it to line your vegetable drawers! It allows cold air to circulate underneath your veggies (keeping them fresher), and if the drawer gets dirty, you can simply throw away the wrap and start over. Check out our other ingenious uses for bubble wrap!

Candles

Hate to get rid of old candles? Place a tea light in an old candle to reuse a beautiful candle you’ve burned down. Or, use old white candles to keep your shower cleaner or waterproof items by rubbing the wax over clean grout or anything you need waterproofed. You can even use it to prevent squeaky hinges! There’s much more you can do with used candles: Check out these used candle hacks, including how to make wax discs for your candle warmer.

Toothpaste

Toothpaste can be used for so many household applications, there’s no need to buy brass and copper cleaner, pimple and burn cream, or even traps for mice. Find out everything toothpaste can do!

Hand Sanitizer

Did you know hand sanitizer can be used in lieu of deodorant, will weaken the adhesive on pesky stickers that won’t come out, and more? Here are our surprising second uses for hand sanitizer.

Listen to the whole podcast in the top right hand player or on iTunes, Stitcher, or wherever you download podcasts. And don’t forget to sign up for our newsletter and follow us on Facebook for our Tip of the Day!

What is MRSA?

Here’s another reason why I’m not a big fan of antibiotics (unless they are absolutely necessary, of course) – Methicillin Resistant Staph Aureus (MRSA). Taking too many antibiotics can make everyday bacteria that lives in our bodies very resistant to treatment. Everyone should learn about MRSA, and if you don’t know what it is, then turn up the volume!

What is MRSA?

Staph Aureus, often referred to as Staph, is a specific type of bacteria that lives on the surface of our skin or in our nostrils in about one third of us. Yes, we all have bacteria thriving off of us all of the time. If Staph breaks through our skin via an opening, such as a cut or a bug bite, it can overgrow and cause an infection. This can look like a pimple or a boil and is treatable with an antibiotic. But if Staph spreads through the blood or causes a large wound, then it can be more serious.

Staph bacteria can become resistant to other antibiotics over time if we overuse them. MRSA is a special type of Staph that is resistant to many antibiotics, including Methicillin, and is therefore considered more serious since doctors are limited in how we can treat it. Less than 2% of the general population is colonized by MRSA. The trouble is, it’s growing within our communities. It used to occur only in hospitalized patients. But now because so many people are colonized with it, it is spreading amongst all of us. If someone you know has it, they can pass it on to you via skin contact.

Those infected with MRSA tend to get more frequent skin infections, such as pimples, boils, and abscesses.

How Do You Know if You Have MRSA?

Anyone can get MRSA. It tends to spread more rapidly in those living with someone colonized with it, or in public spaces such as nursing homes, hospitals, prisons, college dorms, and fitness centers. You might recall Get-Fit Guy’s bout with MRSA that he contracted at the gym. You can get it by touching someone who has it, and then touching your skin or nose. MRSA can live on objects and surfaces, such as athletic equipment and doorknobs, for months.

The chances of contracting MRSA are greater if you use frequent antibiotics, or stop them before finishing the prescribed course or miss doses.

Those who are carriers of MRSA may not show any symptoms, or they may tend to get more recurrent skin infections. These tend to be red, swollen, sometimes painful lumps or pimples under the skin that may drain pus. If left untreated, they can get bigger and may need to be lanced with a scalpel, drained, and then packed with special gauze. Often, this gauze needs to be changed every 1 to 2 days until the opening slowly heals from the inside out.

More serious infections can cause pneumonia, sepsis (which is an infection of the bloodstream), or surgical wound infections.

If your doctor suspects MRSA, your wound or discharge can be swabbed and sent to the lab for testing.

How to Avoid Contracting MRSA?

Wash your hands frequently and thoroughly with soap and water or alcohol-based sanitizer
Keep skin openings, such as cuts, covered with a bandage until they are healed
Avoid contact with other people’s wounds or skin openings
Do not share razors or towels with others
Disinfect gym equipment prior to using it

What to Do Once You Have MRSA?

Besides frequent hand-washing and protecting your loved ones from contracting it via skin-to-skin contact, there are some things you can do to keep this bacteria at bay:

Tell all your healthcare providers about your MRSA. They may wear gloves or wash their hands and take special precautions to prevent its spread to others.
See your doctor as soon as you notice any skin infection. If you take antibiotics as soon as symptoms develop, you can prevent it from getting bigger.
Use your own separate towels at home.
When washing your hands, rub soap and water for at least 15 seconds, and rinse with warm water. Turn the faucet on and off using a paper towel.
Carry your own alcohol-based hand-gel and make sure it’s at least 60% alcohol.
Disinfect any gym equipment before and after you use it.
Shower daily using “hexachlorophene” soap everywhere, including the nostrils. You do not need to wash any mucus membranes, such as your mouth or inside the genital area.
Then apply bacitracin ointment on a Q-tip about 1 cm inside the nostrils and anus once a day for 3 months.
After 3 months, use the hexachlorophene soap 6 days a week for one month, then 5 days a week for one month, then 4 days a week for one month, etc. until you are down to once a week – as long as the skin infections don’t recur. The bacitracin should be used for life to keep the bacteria in check, however.

Resources:

Centers for Disease Control – Healthcare Associated Infections

Department of Health - MRSA

What is your experience with MRSA? Share it with us on the House Call Doctor’s Facebook and Twitter pages!

Please note that all content here is strictly for informational purposes only. This content does not substitute any medical advice, and does not replace any medical judgment or reasoning by your own personal health provider. Please always seek a licensed physician in your area regarding all health related questions and issues.

Rabu, 26 April 2017

10 Vacuuming Tips You Should Know

VacuumingTips

When Your Vacuum Stops Sucking

Your DustBuster doesn’t seem to be busting dust as well as it used to. The problem may be static buildup in the canister. Solve the problem with a dryer sheet! Cut off a piece of dryer sheet, and vacuum it up, and allow the DustBuster to run for 30-60 seconds. Remove the sheet, and the vacuum should really, well, suck again.

Battle Dust Bunnies

The easiest way to vacuum under a dresser? Just remove the bottom drawer, and you’ll be able to suck up those dust bunnies with ease.

The Cleanest Carpet

For a cleaner, brighter carpet, sprinkle a small amount of salt before you vacuum. The salt provides a mild abrasive cleaning action that will clean the carpet without hurting the fibers.

Vacuum Like a Pro

When vacuuming your home, it’s always annoying to find bits and pieces that are too big for your vacuum. Instead of ending up with all those icky bits in your hand, tie a plastic grocery bag to your belt loop. That way, you’ll have a portable garbage can with you at all times!

Vacuum Off Odors

To rid your house of pet, cooking, or other smells, add a cotton ball soaked in vanilla or lavender oil to your vacuum cleaner bag. It’s a great way to rid your home of an offensive odor by creating a nice scent instead.

Vacuum Fix

If your vacuum hose has developed a crack and is leaking air, simply cover the crack with duct tape and keep on cleaning.

News You Can Use

I love to use the plastic bags that newspapers come in to clean the reusable filter bag in my portable vacuum cleaner. I slip my hand in the plastic bag, grab all the lint, and then invert the bag for a more thorough and dust-free cleaning process.

Erase Vacuuming Mistakes

You can prevent marks on baseboards and walls when you vacuum by covering the edges of the vacuum head with masking tape so you don’t leave behind dark smudges from the metal when you inevitably bump the wall.

Vacuum Cleaner Treat

Sprinkle some baking soda into the bag of your vacuum cleaner to keep it smelling fresh.

Vacuum Bag Fix

If your disposable vacuum cleaner bag is full and you don’t have replacement on hand, get out the duct tape! Remove the bag and cut a slit straight down the middle. Empty it into the garbage, then pinch the sides together at the slit and fold over. Tape the fold with a liberal amount of duct tape. The bag will hold a little less, but you’ll be ready to vacuum again without having to run to the store.

For more cleaning tips for around the house, check out our Cleaning Tips board on Pinterest. And don’t forget to sign up for our newsletter and follow us on Facebook for our Tip of the Day!

Photo courtesy of Shutterstock.

How to Treat and Prevent Cold Sores

Honey

Make a cold sore a thing of the past with honey! Just dab unpasteurized honey on the spot three times a day, and its antioxidants and enzymes will decrease inflammation and allow it to heal faster.

Baking Soda

You can spend a lot of money on expensive cold sore remedies, or try this DIY version that will cost you mere pennies. Mix a small amount of baking soda with enough water to make a paste, and apply the paste to the cold sore. Allow it to dry, then rinse and pat dry. Repeat every day until the cold sore disappears, usually in about a week.

Give It a Shot

It turns out that vodka’s good for more than just drinking. It can also send a cold sore packing! Using a fresh cotton swab each time, dab a little of the strong stuff on the sore a few times a day. The alcohol will dry it out and speed the healing process. (How do you say “three cheers for vodka” in Russian?)

Tea Tree Oil and Vinegar

Both tea tree oil and vinegar can help with cold sores. Just as with the vodka, dab a little of either one on the sore several times a day for relief. They’re both good antiseptics.

Petroleum Jelly

Now you’ve got the immediate outbreak under control and the painful sore has started to crust over. Keep it moisturized with petroleum jelly. It will help stop painful cracking. Just remember to use a fresh cotton swab each time.

Aloe

A little bit of fresh aloe dabbed on a cold sore can also do a world of good. It helps reduce inflammation and provides essential moisture. If you don’t have an aloe plant, you can also use pure aloe gel for the same effect.

Toss the Toothbrush

After the sore is gone, replace your toothbrush. The virus that causes cold sores likes to linger, and the germs could still be there days after you’re feeling better. Yuck! During an outbreak, it’s also a good idea to make sure your toothbrush dries thoroughly between brushings. Keep it near an open window or somewhere sunny.

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The suggestions offered here are for informational purposes only. The author and publisher do not accept liability for damages arising from the use, attempted use, misuse, or application of any of the suggestions included on this website.

Image courtesy of Shutterstock.

How to Clean Any Kind of Dirty Surface

TackleDirtonAnySurface

Aluminum

Here’s a great cleaner for aluminum. Sprinkle cream of tartar on a wedge of lemon and rub it into the surface. Let sit for 10 minutes, then rinse and buff dry. If you don’t have any cream of tartar, you can also try this trick with baking soda.

Brass

To clean and polish brass, make a paste of one part salt, one part flour, and one part vinegar. Rub this paste into the item using a soft cloth, then rinse with warm water and buff with a dry cloth for a glistening shine.

Chrome

If your chrome faucets are less than sparkly, try rubbing them with flour. Rinse, then buff with a soft cloth, and they’ll really shine. Vinegar also works well for cleaning chrome.

Copper

Here’s an unlikely cleaning tool—ketchup. It works great on copper. Simply rub on with a soft cloth, let sit for 30-45 minutes, then rinse off with hot water and wipe dry.

Fiberglass

Cleaning fiberglass is, unfortunately, an adults-only chore. Using plastic gloves in a well-ventilated room, mix together one cup of vinegar, a half cup of baking soda, a half cup of clear ammonia, and one gallon of warm water. Designate a sponge just for this purpose (or use a rag) and be sure the solution doesn’t touch your skin when you rub it onto the fiberglass.

Cleaning Leather

The best way to keep leather furniture clean is to have your children and pets stay away! But if it gets dirty, there are a few ways to tackle the problem. You can rub down treated leather with a damp cloth, and an occasional date with warm soapy water won’t harm it. If you accidentally get a liquid that badly stains on your leather, blot up as much as you can, then apply hydrogen peroxide with a cotton ball to wipe it up.

For more cleaning tips for around the house, check out our Cleaning Tips board on Pinterest. And don’t forget to sign up for our newsletter and follow us on Facebook for our Tip of the Day!

Photo courtesy of Shutterstock.

How to Make a Carpet Stain Remover from Household Items

TricksforMakingOld CarpetLook New

Using Salt

If you spill any liquid on your carpet, pour salt on the area as soon as possible and watch it absorb the liquid almost instantly. Wait until it dries, then vacuum it up. Salt tends to provide a special capillary attraction that will work for most liquids. There are a few stains that salt will actually help set, however—never sprinkle it on red wine, coffee, tea, or cola!

Vomit Stains

If you have kids, you’ve had to clean up vomit. Baking soda can make the job a little less gross if you sprinkle some on top as soon as possible. It will soak up some of the mess and make the smell easier to deal with when you have to go at it with the paper towels.

Ink Stains

Ink stains on the carpet? Make a paste of cream of tartar and lemon juice, and dab at the stain. Let it sit for five minutes or so, then clean with a damp cloth.

Red Wine Stains

What’s the easiest way to remove red wine spills from your carpet? Try applying a bit of shaving cream (after checking that the carpet is colorfast), and letting it sit for a minute before wiping away. Shaving cream will also work on grease stains.

Coffee and Tea Stains

Coffee stains can be frustrating, but you can get them out of your carpet by pouring beer on them. That’s right—just dribble a couple of sips onto the stain, and it should vanish. Dab up the extra beer with a paper towel, and if the coffee stain doesn’t go away completely, repeat the task a few more times. This trick works on tea stains too. Alternatively, to remove coffee stains from carpet or clothing, rub a beaten egg yolk into the spot, leave for five minutes, then rinse with warm water.

Grease Stains

If you’ve got kids, you’re guaranteed to end up with a grease stain on your carpet. The big thing to remember is to not touch the stain at all—don’t sop it up, wipe it, or do anything else. Instead, pour a large amount of cornstarch on top of the spot and gently stir it with your finger. Let it sit for a day, and make sure no one walks on it. The next day, use your vacuum cleaner’s hose attachment (the plastic one, not the one with bristles) to suck away the cornstarch. The stain should be mostly gone, but if it’s not, repeat this action until it completely disappears. You can then use the brush attachment to clear away the last remnants of cornstarch.

Burns

Here’s how to eliminate cigarette burns in your carpet: First, cut away the burn mark. Then, cut a bit of carpet from an area that’s covered by a piece of furniture (such as under a couch), and glue it carefully over the burnt spot. Finally, yell at the person who caused the burn in the first place!

Pet Stains

If your pet accidentally peed on your rug, and it still smells like urine after you’ve cleaned it, try deodorizing the spot with club soda, which contains odor-fighting minerals. Pour some on the area, leave it for five minutes, then blot and allow to dry.

For more cleaning tips for around the house, check out our Cleaning Tips board on Pinterest. And don’t forget to sign up for our newsletter and follow us on Facebook for our Tip of the Day!

Photo courtesy of Shutterstock.

Investing FAQs: How to Get Higher Returns, Retire Early, Do Rollovers, and Manage Multiple Accounts

How to Get Higher Returns, Retire Early, Do Rollovers, and Manage Multiple Accounts Investing for the future is one of the most powerful ways to create security, feel in control of your money, and reduce financial stress. But it can be difficult to get started when you don’t feel confident or need more clarity.

In this post, I’ll answer 7 questions from the Money Girl community about a variety of investing and retirement topics to help you create more financial success. You’ll learn how to get higher investment returns, retire early, prioritize accounts, do rollovers, know when you should invest, and manage multiple retirement accounts.

Free Resource: Retirement Account Comparison Chart (PDF download) - get this handy, one-page resource to understand the different types of retirement accounts.

7 Questions & Answers About Investing

Investing Question #1: Carl says, “I recently heard about a way to retire early that doesn’t come with a retirement account penalty. Can you explain how to qualify for that?”

Answer:

If you’re a regular Money Girl reader or podcast listener, you know that I strongly recommend using retirement accounts, such as IRAs and workplace plans to save for retirement. They come with terrific tax benefits and legal protections that don’t come with regular investing accounts.

However, retirement accounts also have a major downside: you generally can’t take money out of one before age 59½ without paying a 10% penalty. The idea is that these accounts are meant to provide security in retirement and not to be tapped early or on a whim.

There are some qualified exceptions when you can take early distributions from an IRA that are penalty-free, such as paying for education, medical bills, or your first home. Roth IRAs give you the most flexibility, and I covered the rules for making withdrawals of both contributions and earnings in last week’s post and audio podcast, 4 Penalty-Free Ways to Use a Roth IRA Before Retirement.

In addition to common exemptions, there’s an advanced and little-known rule you can use to avoid the early withdrawal penalty for any type of retirement account. It goes by a few different names that come from its numbered section of the IRS tax code:

72(t) distribution
72(t) payment plan
Substantially equal periodic payments
SEPP plan

The 72(t) regulation allows you to set up a plan to take equal monthly or annual distributions from your retirement account, such as a traditional IRA or a Roth IRA. You can also set up a 72(t) from a workplace plan, such as a 401(k) or 403(b), if you no longer work for your employer.

On the surface, this sounds like an easy way to begin tapping a retirement account any time you want. Problem is, creating a 72(t) plan comes with restrictions and some risky consequences if you don’t use it the right way.

The 72(t) regulation allows you to set up a plan to take equal monthly or annual distributions from your retirement account, such as a traditional IRA or a Roth IRA.

The amount you can withdraw using a 72(t) plan is calculated using one of 3 accounting methods approved by the IRS. I won’t bore you with the details of figuring substantially equal periodic payments, but some of the factors that go into the calculations include your account balance, age, and life expectancy.

All payments you receive from a 72(t) plan that weren’t previously taxed, such as for a traditional IRA or traditional 401(k), will be subject to income tax, just like when you take distributions from those accounts in retirement.

It’s important to understand that once you begin taking 72(t) distributions, you can’t stop taking them for a certain amount of time. Once the plan is put in place you must take the periodic payments for a minimum of 5 years or until you turn 59½, whichever is longer.

After you complete a series of 5-year distributions and reach the age of 59½, you can take retirement distributions any way you like. However, for most traditional accounts, once you reach age 70½, you generally must take annual required minimum distributions, no matter if you used a 72(t) plan or not.

Another issue with initiating a 72(t) payment plan is that you can’t make any new contributions to your retirement account or add any assets or rollovers while taking payments. It’s as if your accounts is frozen while a distribution plan is in place.

So, let’s get back to Carl’s question about who qualifies to use a 72(t). It’s available to anyone who owns a retirement account. But I’ll go a little deeper to explain who should use one.

Setting up an early distribution plan can be a huge benefit if you have plenty of money in your retirement account and are ready to retire before the official age of 59½. It’s a great way to start spending your retirement funds on anything you like—such as travel, medical expenses, paying down debt, or gifts to family—without having to pay expensive early withdrawal penalties.

Another situation when a 72(t) distribution makes sense is when you really need to supplement your income. Let’s say you get downsized from your job at age 50 and decide to transition into a less lucrative career or to work part-time. If you need additional income, you could set up a 72(t) plan and take substantially equal periodic payments until you reach age 59½.

But as I mentioned, hopping on the 72(t) payment train means the ride must last for 5 years or until you turn 59½, whichever is longer. So, after receiving payments for 9½ years, from age 50 to 59½, you could stop taking payments. Or you could keep the distributions coming in the same amount or even change it to any amount you like.

When executed properly, taking 72(t) payments can be a smart way to tap your retirement funds early. However, figuring out the allowable payment schedule can be very complex—you can’t just name your own amount.

Taking too little, too much, or missing a distribution deadline can result in expensive consequences. In addition to owing income tax, messing up your 72(t) payments means that all your distributions will be subject to the 10% early withdrawal penalty—plus, interest on unpaid tax and penalties calculated from the original date you made an error. Ouch!

Therefore, always get help from a tax professional who has experience setting up a 72(t). Carl should weigh all his options carefully and never enter a 72(t) plan lightly. Ask yourself if you really need the money or have other sources to tap.

Make sure you can afford to trade your nest egg for an immediate cash flow. Taking payments now means that you drain the resources available to you later in retirement.

Investing Question #2: Sara V., a member of Laura’s Dominate Your Dollars Facebook group, says, “My work offers a 457 retirement plan, but with no matching funds, and I have a Roth IRA. Should I should save more in the 457 or use another account?”

Answer:

Thanks for your question, Sara. For those unfamiliar with a 457 plan, I’ll start with a brief introduction. A 457 plan has similarities to a 401k, but is only offered by state and local governments and certain non-profit organizations.

Just like with a 401k, you can contribute on a pre-tax basis to a traditional 457 or on an after-tax basis to a Roth 457. The annual contribution limits are the same as other workplace retirement plans: up to $18,000, or up to $24,000 if you’re over age 50, for 2017.

Any time you’re offered a retirement plan through work, that’s the first place you should invest. Reason is, it’s loaded with benefits like those high annual contribution limits. In contrast, IRAs currently only allow less than a third of a workplace plan, $5,500, or $6,500 if you’re over age 50.

Retirement plans at work may offer lower costs and funds that you wouldn’t have access to. Additionally, if your financial situation takes a turn for the worst, they generally provide more legal protections compared to an IRA.

And, as Sara brought up in her question, employers may kick in additional matching funds. These free, additional contributions to your retirement account are an amazing incentive to keep up good savings habits. But even if you’re like Sara, and don’t get a retirement match from your boss, don’t let that discourage you from participating.

Here are questions you and Sara can ask to know the best places for your retirement funds:

Do I qualify to make Roth IRA contributions in the first place? Sara didn’t mention how much she’s earning, but you’re not eligible to contribute to a Roth IRA when your income exceeds annual income limits. These are the income thresholds by tax filing status for 2017: - Single taxpayers can’t contribute when modified adjusted gross income (MAGI) is at or above $133,000. - Married taxpayers who file a joint return can’t contribute when household MAGI is $196,000 or higher. - Married taxpayers who file separate returns can’t contribute when MAGI is $10,000 or higher.
Does my employer offer a Roth 457 in addition to a traditional 457? If so, she could get the tax-free advantages that come with a Roth using her employer-sponsored plan. Plus, a major advantage of getting a Roth at work is that unlike a Roth IRA, there’s no income limit. So, even the highest paid worker in a company can max out a Roth workplace retirement account, such as a Roth 457, Roth 403b, or a Roth 401k.
Do I want flexibility to tap a retirement account? If so, a Roth IRA puts up the fewest barriers and restrictions to take out money. Of course, leaving funds to grow for the long term gives you more to spend later—so that’s what I recommend doing. However, it’s always nice to have options!

Investing Question #3: Joe asks, “Can I contribute to a Roth IRA in addition to a traditional IRA?”

Answer:

You can contribute to both a traditional IRA and a Roth IRA in the same year, if you don’t exceed the total annual contribution limit. As I previously mentioned, for 2017, you can contribute a total of $5,500, or $6,500 if you’re over age 50, to one or both accounts.

For example, you could contribute $2,000 to a traditional IRA and $3,500 to a Roth IRA, or any proportion you like. But, to make contributions to a Roth IRA, you can’t exceed the annual income limits that I just covered.

If you become ineligible to contribute to a Roth IRA in the future, it’s not a problem. You can still manage your investments the same way. And if your income falls below the annual limit down the road, you can begin contributing again.

Investing Question #4: Adam asks, “Can I contribute to an IRA in addition to my retirement plan at work?”

Answer:

When you have a retirement plan at work you can also contribute to a traditional IRA, a Roth IRA, or to both. However, there’s a downside you should know about. If you earn over an annual threshold, the tax deduction for your traditional IRA may be limited.

To learn more, I’ll refer you to a recent post and podcast, Can You Contribute to a 401k and an IRA in the Same Year?

Investing Question #5: An anonymous podcast listener asks, “Can I roll over my traditional 401k from a previous employer into a Roth IRA?”

Answer:

You can only roll over workplace accounts into like accounts without triggering a tax consequence. For instance, you can roll over a traditional 401k into a traditional IRA and a Roth 401k into a Roth IRA.

Moving money from a traditional workplace account into a Roth IRA would be considered a Roth conversion. Since traditional retirement contributions are made on a pre-tax basis and Roth contributions are after-tax, doing a conversion means that you’re responsible for income tax on any amounts that weren’t previously taxed. So, I generally don’t recommend doing a Roth conversion because it can result in a huge tax liability.

I recommend that the anonymous listener roll over his or her old 401k into a traditional IRA and then start a new Roth IRA, assuming he or she qualifies based on annual income limits.

Investing Question #6: Angela G., a new Money Girl listener says, “I’m making an investment in my future by going to a really great law school to follow my dreams. But the debt is concerning me. I’m taking out $60,000 in loans for my first year and need advice about the best ways to manage it. What strategies do you recommend for saving or investing my loan money so I can maximize the little I’ll have during these three years and have a strong financial footing after graduation?”

Answer:

Angela, congratulations on getting into a great law school. While your student debt seems troubling now, work hard to limit your expenses during school and maximize your education. Statistics show that the cost of higher education pays off, allowing you to earn millions more over the life of your career.

Since you’re receiving money that you’ll probably need to spend over the next year or two, it should never be invested. That’s because investing exposes money to some amount of risk—and you can’t afford to lose a penny of your education funds. Instead, keep your student loans completely safe, but earning some interest, in a high-yield bank savings account while you’re in school.

Once you’re earning income, I recommend a multi-prong strategy of accumulating an emergency fund, investing at least 10% to 15% of your income for retirement, and paying extra on your student loans when possible.

After you graduate and get a good-paying job, that’s the time to hone in on an aggressive financial plan. Once you’re earning income, I recommend a multi-prong strategy of accumulating an emergency fund, investing at least 10% to 15% of your income for retirement, and paying extra on your student loans when possible.

Investing Question #7: Brandy says, “I’ve been a fan of your podcast for about 3 years and have used many of your tips. I’m 27 years old and make about $52,000 a year. I bank with a credit union and the CDs are only offering 2.96% APY. In podcast #489, you mentioned examples of investors earning an annual average return of 8%—where can I receive this return?”

Answer:

Thanks so much for being a long-time podcast listener, Brandy! There are hundreds of mutual funds and exchange-traded funds (ETFs) that offer returns north of 8%. But it depends on the performance period.

The Vanguard Mid-Cap Value ETF (VOE) is an example of a stock fund that’s part of my Betterment portfolio with the following stated returns:

1 year – 19.48%
3 year – 9.38%
5 year – 14.31%
10 year – 7.8%
Since inception in 2006 – 8.88%

In the podcast you referenced, which is episode 489, I mentioned that you must choose investments based on your time horizon. For instance, if you’re 35 years old and plan to quit working and live solely on investment income when you’re 65, you have a 30-year horizon that allows you to take more risk.

But if you have money that you want to use for a down payment on a home next year, you have an extremely short horizon and should not take any risk. Put it in an extremely conservative and safe place, like a bank savings account or a short-term CD.

So, before you think about investment returns, you need to be clear about what you plan to use money for. If it’s for the long term, I recommend investing aggressively through a retirement account, such as a workplace plan or an IRA. If it’s for the short term, don’t use a retirement account because early withdrawals come with expensive taxes and penalties.

In 7 Simple Principles to Invest Money Wisely No Matter Your Age I mention that the highest returns typical come from stocks or stock funds. But those high returns have high risk because stocks are volatile and the value can change from minute to minute. In contrast, cash or cash equivalents, such as bank savings and CDs are the least risky, but give you low returns.

Over many decades stocks have performed better than other types of investments with average annual returns near 10%. So, when you have at least 5 to 10 years to go before you need to tap invested money, I recommend choosing one or more diversified stock funds, but not individual stocks which are riskier to own.

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Selasa, 25 April 2017

Turning Light into a Lifestyle: Q&A SkinnyTaste's Gina Homolka

Turning Light Into a Lifestyle: A Conversation with Gina Homolka

How the blog propelled her to success
The methodology behind "light" cooking
Where she draws inspiration for new recipes and book ideas (hint: it's when she's not working!)
The importance of social media
And much more!

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Gina Homolka headshot

Does a High Protein Diet Weaken Your Bones?

Ely writes:

“Ever since my wife heard your episode on the benefits of protein for preventing muscle loss as you get older, she’s eating more eggs, meat, and fish, especially at breakfast and lunch. But doesn’t a high protein diet weaken your bones? Do we have to choose between strong muscles and strong bones once we get past middle age?”

Actually, it’s just the opposite, Ely: Protein contributes to strong muscles AND strong bones.

Does Protein Cause Bone Loss?

The concern about protein and bone health may stem from the fact that when you increase your protein intake—especially from animal sources—the amount of calcium in your urine goes up. The assumption has always been that this urinary calcium was being taken from the bones in order to buffer the acid residue that remains after digestion of meat and other animal products.

See also: Ph-Balancing diets

Obviously, if something you are eating is regularly causing the calcium to leach out of your bones and into the toilet, over time this is going to be very bad news for your bones. However, this is not at all what is happening.

As I’ve talked about in previous episodes, only a fraction of the calcium from foods is absorbed by the body. You may absorb as little as 5% of the calcium in spinach or as much as 60% of the calcium in your broccoli. But most of the calcium in the foods you eat passes through your system unabsorbed. When you increase your protein intake, something very interesting happens: Your body starts absorbing more a lot calcium from your food.

It turns out that almost all of the extra calcium in the urine when you increase your protein intake is due to increased intestinal absorption of calcium. Very little is coming from your bones. And this probably explains why people with higher protein diets do not, in fact, have higher fracture rates or lower bone mineral density.

Eat More Protein for Stronger Bones

Just this month, a group of researchers from Harvard published data from more than 100,000 men and women that were followed over the course of more than 30 years. Among the men, the risk of fracture went down as protein intake (from any source) went up. Among the women, total protein intake didn’t seem to affect risk positively or negatively. But higher intakes of plant-based and dairy proteins reduced the risk of hip fracture. Earlier this year, researchers assessed a group of 750 women in their 60s and found that higher protein intakes were associated with increased bone strength.

And most recently, researchers writing in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition compiled the results from 36 different studies looking at the effect of protein intake on bone health. This meta-analysis also found no evidence that higher protein diets endanger bones and some evidence that higher protein diets actually protect against bone loss.

A diet that is too low in protein actually appears to be a much bigger threat to bone health than one that higher in protein.

How Much Protein Do You Need?

A diet that is too low in protein actually appears to be a much bigger threat to bone health than one that higher in protein. The recommended daily allowance for protein is 50 grams per day. However, there is a growing chorus of scientists calling for increasing that recommendation to 75 or even 100 grams per day in light of recent evidence—especially for people over 50.

The good news is that most Americans are already getting between 75 and 100 grams of protein per day. And, as I talked about in a previous episode, you can get more benefit without actually increasing the amount of protein you’re eating simply by spreading it out more evenly throughout the day, rather than eating most of it at dinner time.

Want Strong Bones? Eat Your Vegetables

Of course, there are many things besides protein that affect bone health. In addition to adequate protein, healthy bones require a variety of vitamins and minerals, including vitamin D and K, calcium, and magnesium. And that’s why my nutrition prescription for healthy bones isn’t just about getting more protein (or calcium) but also encourages eating plenty of vegetables! Also, because vitamin D is not terribly well-distributed in the food supply, a vitamin D supplement may be a good idea.

See also: Diet for Healthy Bones

Exercise also plays an important role in bone health, in two important ways. 1) Strong muscles help maintain strong bones. Strength training exercise with weight machines, stretchy bands, free weights, or even your own body weight helps to maintain muscle strength throughout life. 2) Impact also helps strengthen bones. Walking gives your bones some low impact stimulation, but if you can manage a bit of jogging, jumping, bouncing, or other higher impact activities, so much the better.

If you need some advice on getting fit at any age, my QDT colleague Ben Greenfield has it all covered in the Get Fit Guy podcast. Find both of our podcasts on Apple Podcasts, Stitcher, Soundcloud, or wherever you enjoy podcasts. And if you enjoy the show, do us a favor and leave a review!

Senin, 24 April 2017

How to Keep Track of Irregular Events

Listener Stacy writes in:

How do you track something going forward? For example, “next time I go for an oil change make sure to ask about discounts on a lifetime supply of paisley-colored motor oil.” I don’t have an exact date for the event nor do I have a “to ask mechanic” page in my planner. How would I track an irregular event like that?

Stacy, memory is hard! Sure, ancient Greeks memorized 6-hour poems word for word. But we’re more advanced than that. We recognize the superiority of staring comatose at a screen, blankly scrolling a Facebook feed, and letting our devices do all the work.

You want to remember irregular events. A second semester quantum mechanics student would have some proof for why you can’t both identify an event and know what you need when you get there. But I’ve never taken Quantum Mechanics, so I’ll tell you how to control the uncontrollable.

It’s all about triggers. Find what will trigger your future action, and connect your reminders and reference material to that trigger.

For Tasks, Connect Notes to To-Do Items

Some things you do because they’re on your task list. Whether you use one master system to organize your life, whether you use a paper system—my favorite!—or an online task management system like Todoist—my other favorite!—at some point you’ll select a task from your task list as The Thing You Will Do Next. (Side note: my favorite way to scan and select tasks from your to-do list is the Autofocus 4 task management system by Mark Forster. There are links to all of these at http://ift.tt/2q0r72R)

If you use an electronic task management system like ToDoist, you can add attachments and notes to a task. You’re reading a magazine and find a fascinating advertisement for a new product. Some young nerd with no social skills has created the perfect robotic shmoopie, powered by artificial intelligence. And there’s a limited-time coupon in the ad for 30% off!

Eager to solve your relationship woes for life, you would add the task “Order backup shmoopie” to your task list. When you add it, also add the URL of Shmoopie Incorporated in the notes field of the task. Take a screen shot of the coupon and attach that to the task.

For Paper Triggers, Keep a “Details” File

If you keep your task list on paper, like I do, you can’t do electronic attachments. So create a place in your computer to hold the electronic attachments. Create one, single folder on your computer called “Details.” Inside that folder, create a subfolder. Name it “1.” Put all the electronic attachments related to a given task in one subfolder. When you write your task in your paper task list, write the number 1 and put a square around it. That tells you to look in your online Details Folder 1 for the supporting material for that task. When you have another task that needs details, call the subfolder “2”, and so on.

Also create a real-life Details folder. When a task has physical papers, like the copy of your psychiatric release that was approved by the staff, put it in the details folder. Just like the electronic details folder, number the items. Write the sequence number directly on the papers, or on a sticky note that you attach to the papers. All the items related to a single to-do item get the same sequence number. Then in my task list, I write the sequence number and circle it, so I know it’s in my paper Details file.

For Dates, Use Follow-Up Email

Some things get triggered by date, not by task list. That’s easy, use your calendar! As with tasks, you can attach files and URLs to an event, so when that event comes up, the materials you need are at your fingertips. You can also use your Details folders if necessary, adding the subfolder number in a square or circle directly to the event description in your calendar.

For calendar events, you can also email attachments to yourself to arrive on a specific date. Check out my episode on how to use deferred email for details, or services like www.FollowUpThen.com.

Plastic surgery scheduled for May 9th? Just snap some pictures of the noses you find inspirational. Send them to yourself for delivery on May 8th. Then you can share them with your surgeon right before you go under, secure in the knowledge that you’ll come out looking like Betty Boop, Barbra Streisand, Sylvester Stallone, or a glorious combination of all three.

If you have paper items that are relevant to an appointment, use your paper Details file exactly as you would with a task list. Put the paper items in the Details file, number them, and then write the number with a little circle in your calendar next to the relevant appointment.

For Untimed Events, Use Location Alerts

Stacy, you want to remind yourself to investigate paisley motor oil at your next oil change. It’s unscheduled, so you can’t use the calendar technique. And you probably won’t add it to your task list until you see smoke, at which point you’ll have more important things to remember than your desire for fashionable motor oil.

But you do know where your oil change place is. Under many smartphone reminder apps, you can set a reminder that triggers when you arrive at a certain location. Use the task reminder we’ve already discussed, but have it trigger based on location. Even if your task list is on paper, like mine, you can put the reminders on your smartphone. Plus, using location reminders makes you keep GPS turned on, making it easier and less expensive for the NSA to track you, and thus helping keep your taxes low, low, low.

For Unknowable Events, Make Your Own Trigger

If you have a completely paper system, or you always choose a different oil change shop (so they can’t track your movements), then you need to identify something you’ll access when you’ll actually go in for an oil change. I have a windshield sticker that reminds me when my next oil change is due. I’ll always take that sticker off when it’s time. So it’s the trigger. I write a little checkbox using a Sharpie. When I see the checkbox, it reminds me to open the glove compartment, where the “mechanic’s to-do list” tucked inside my car owner’s manual.

You’ll see it pop up and if the time isn’t yet right, you can reschedule it for a few weeks in the future.

For Unknowable, Untimed, Untriggered Events, Pray

If something isn’t on your task list, isn’t on your calendar, isn’t location-based, and has no trigger you can identify in advance, you can set up a calendar-based reminder for the rough timeframe you think the event will occur. Put a reminder in your calendar on that date of your paisley motor oil to-do item, and where supporting materials can be found. You’ll see it pop up and if the time isn’t yet right, you can reschedule it for a few weeks in the future. Here, instead of getting what you need, when you need it, you’re giving yourself a rough reminder so you’ll remember what you need, when you need it.

Stacy, we don’t have to become like the ancient Greek barbarians, memorizing, using our brains, and exhibiting actual skill and abilities! We can reclaim our humanity by identifying the trigger of a given task. Then we attach what we’ll need for the task to that trigger. The trigger can be a task from your task list, a calendar date, a location alert, or an invented trigger. Or, as a last resort, we can use our technology to remind us occasionally, so when the unknowable finally arrives, our brains have the one single fact we need to cope, freeing up the rest of our intellect to watch, admire, and aspire to be like Kim Kardashian.

This is Stever Robbins. Follow GetItDoneGuy on Twitter and Facebook. I run programs to help you develop the skills you need to create an extraordinary life. If you want to know more, visit http://ift.tt/1l2uWN6.

Work Less, Do More, and have a Great Life!