- Page 3 of 321 - Good food, good company, good advice from Grandma

Ways You Can Manage Chronic Pain Without Painkillers

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It would be irresponsible to suggest that you should just get rid of your painkillers right now. Having chronic pain can be debilitating and life impacting. For people who have a constant pain in their back or niggle in their knee, painkillers may allow them a short time of respite every day. However, often painkillers do nothing other than mask the pain and don’t get to the root of the problem. When you visit your doctor, you may not even get a diagnosis for your pain. This doesn’t mean that it is all in your head. You simply have to find a way of managing this pain which can result in some trial and error. Read on to see how you can manage chronic pain without the need for so many painkillers.

Exercise Can Help Manage Chronic Pain

It may seem a little odd to suggest that you exercise when your body is in so much pain. However, sometimes limiting the movement of our muscles can result in an increase in pain. While you shouldn’t be heading to the gym to take part in a grueling spin session or a HIIT class, you can partake in some more gentle exercises. You might want to have a walk on the treadmill or do a few bicep curls. If the gym isn’t your thing, consider heading out if the weather is good and taking a stroll to your local park. While not too taxing, getting outside can take your mind off of your pain and can help relieve your niggle if only for a short while.

Treat Yourself

You don’t always have to be homebound if you suffer from chronic pain. This can lead to isolation and loneliness. Instead, you should consider treating yourself. Head out to a spa for a day and partake in a massage or two, have a dip in a swimming pool and enjoy some time in a sauna. If you wonder why you might be sore after your massage, this article can help you embark on some massage therapy to help manage chronic pain. By taking a pal, you can make your trip to the spa a more sociable affair, so you don’t have to go alone.

Do Something New

Sometimes when we suffer from chronic pain, we end up isolating ourselves. It’s all too easy to say no to every invitation that comes your way because you don’t want to be a burden on your friends. Consider being a little more proactive and making the effort to go out for dinner once in a while so you can keep up to date with your pal’s news.

You might prefer to head out to do something new. Making new friends could be just as exciting and take your mind off of your pain. Consider what it is that you want to do. This could be a new hobby or pastime. Maybe you want to learn a new language or you might want to master some new baking skills. Sign up for a class and give yourself something to look forward to every week. Doing something new really can give you a new lease on life and stop you from feeling like you are stuck in a rut.

While your pain may be chronic, you don’t always have to rely on painkillers. Follow this guide and try alternative ways to manage chronic pain.

Why a Psychic is the Perfect Addition for Your Next Party

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If you host parties often, you’re probably always looking for new ways to make them interesting. The same party games and themes can get tired quickly if they’re all that you’re doing. You might also be trying to one-up a friend’s party by trying something new. Getting the right entertainment for your event can seem difficult if you’re looking at some of the most common types of entertainers. To take your party to the next level, try looking for a psychic for hire and make it a psychic party.

Although I do tend to believe in some of what psychics tell me, some people are skeptical about the powers of a psychic. Even if some of your guests are hesitant to believe in it, they will still make an amazing addition to any party. Here are just a few ways that a psychic is the perfect party entertainment.

Psychics have a long history at parties

With the popularity of things like birth charts and crystals, you might think that psychics are just a trend for right now. While they certainly have a place today, people have had an interest in psychic parties for centuries. Understandably, there’s always been a reason for people to be interested in psychics telling them secrets about themselves or predicting their futures. People have actually been bringing psychics to parties since the nineteenth century. Friends would gather together to listen to tarot card readings and try to get a chance to speak to the dead. Many still had their doubts back then, but psychics still had a large impact on this generation. Psychics also attend fairs all over the world. When you invite a psychic to your party, you’re taking part in a long-standing party tradition. To truly understand the past’s obsession with psychics, you’ll have to find one out for yourself.

Learn more about yourself and your guests

Other party entertainers might keep your guests’ attention with music or jokes, but that’s it. Psychics can give you and your guests something to actually think about. Your psychic might even surprise you with what they know. Not only will you find out more about yourself, but you’ll also learn more about your friends. Nothing could make a party more interesting than finding out something about your friends that you never knew. This can open your group up to have more conversation about what you learned, so you can use your psychic party as a great bonding experience. You wouldn’t have this much to discuss with any other entertainer.

Create a memorable event with a psychic party

Psychics easily create a unique experience for your guests. When was the last time you attended an event that had a psychic? If you’re like most people, there’s a good chance you have never been to one before. Your guests will think this is new and fresh. Most psychics also have personalities you can’t help but be drawn to. Other parties won’t even be able to compare to yours. Because of this, your psychic party will be an event that your friends continue to talk about long after it’s over.

Tips for Finding the Right CBD Products for You

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There are many different manufacturers of CBD products right now. Some companies seemingly pop up out of nowhere and can disappear almost as quickly. Others have been around a while and are more trustworthy. So, how can consumers find the right products to get their CBD?

Here are some pointers on how to find the better CBD products for you and what to avoid too.

How is the Hemp Grown?

Hemp is grown in different ways. Chemicals including pesticides can be added during the growing process. This results in hemp that’s not a good quality. Pesticides are used by growers to protect crops from pests, however, they’re likely to reduce the effectiveness of the CBD product that is eventually produced using these hemp crops.

It’s well known that hemp acts like a sponge to soak up everything around it. Therefore, it takes in much of any chemicals added. Try to learn about the growing processes that a CBD company uses to understand how their hemp might be unduly affected by it.

Pay Attention to CBD Oil Extraction Methods

For CBD oil derived from a hemp plant, oil is extracted by exacting pressure on the plant. The CBD company will then collect it, bottle it and retail it. There are several ways to do this, some better than others.

One approach is to use heat. Usually, butane is included in the heating process with the chemicals present in the butane touching the cannabinoids within the extracted oil. This creates a chemical reaction which is unavoidable and changes the profile of the compounds within the oil itself.

Search for companies that use other methods to extract the oil like ethanol that’s food grade or CO2. Both these solvents are from natural sources leaving the terpenes and cannabinoids totally unaffected.

Are There Any Independent Lab Reports?

Does the company regularly offer lab reports from independent testing facilities to confirm the makeup of their products?

Bear in mind that the FDA has yet to regulate CBD products. As such, it’s up to consumers to look for evidence of what they’re actually buying. This is best done through companies that allow their products to be independently tested. This way, you’re getting what you’re paying for and the company isn’t just making bold claims.

Broad Spectrum vs Isolated

While it’s sound advice that you don’t pay full price for CBD products, you want to pick the best CBD products too.

Not all CBD products are made the same. Some are produced to include a single, isolated cannabinoid. This might be somewhat effective. However, understand that the best broad-spectrum CBD product will have up to 100 cannabinoids, many terpenes, flavonoids and amino acids contained within. Used in combination, this creates an entourage effect that’s highly beneficial; compared to an isolated CBD mixture.

Is There a Guarantee Offered?

Does the brand offer a money back guarantee to buyers of their product? How is their customer support? Do they have a website, a 24-hour hotline, or live chat features on their site? Can they be contacted easily, or have you hunted through their website and you cannot even find a phone number for them?

Also, consider how long the company has been operating with the same brand. Do some Googling to see what other customers have said about the business. If they offer a good product, they’re bound to have some positive reviews online.

When you’re careful about the CBD producer and how they make their products, then you can find excellent supplies. Doing a little homework before making a purchase ensures you get the best results possible.

How to Get Serious About Planning For Retirement

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When is the best time to start planning for retirement? Ideally, the day you start working, but let’s be realistic here; most of us aren’t even going to think about retirement until at least our late 20s/early 30s, and not even then for some folks. If you’re forty or older, it’s time to seriously start considering how you’re going to retire. How do you get serious about it? Ask yourself this: how much longer do you want to work?

How Much Longer Do You Want to Work?

Imagine being 75 years old and still working at your current job. Does that sound like something you’re interested in doing? Most people can’t imagine working well into their seventies and eighties, but the unfortunate fact is that it does happen. There are plenty of “retirees” who didn’t quite save enough and were forced to find part-time or even full-time positions to supplement their income.

Let’s say you turned forty this year. Ideally, you’ll want to work another twenty or twenty-five years, and retire right around 60/65. This is the average retirement age for most folks, but without the right savings and financial planning, you’ll be lucky to meet this deadline. You don’t want to spend your wonder years working all the time!

Once you’ve decided how much longer you really want to work, you can begin to crunch the numbers. If you’ve got twenty years left before retirement, you can begin saving immediately and still be able to reach your savings goals. The earlier you begin saving, the better off you’ll be once you retire.

Are You Receiving Professional Advice?

Financial planning such as this rarely goes off without a hitch, which is why it can be incredibly helpful to have some professional advice in your arsenal. If you’re struggling to get your finances together and come up with a retirement plan, you might want to enlist the services of a financial advisor or planner to get you on track.

If you’re in the New Jersey/New York area, you can find the best financial advisor in New Jersey on Carefulcents.com. The site is loaded with excellent finance advice as well, so you’ll be able to find more information on planning for retirement and other areas as well.

How Much do you Have Saved Already?

If you’re forty-five and you’ve got $5,000 saved for retirement, you might find yourself in a bit of a sticky situation as the years go by. According to this article at CNBC, by age 40, if you’re bringing in $50,000/year, you should have at least saved up $150,000. That’s the minimum, of course, going off of an average household income of $50k.

The more you save the better, and if you’re well under that $150,000 mark at age 40, it’s time to seriously evaluate your financial decision making and put saving for retirement at the top of your list. Even if you’ll receive a pension when you retire, you’ll need to account for additional expenses and the possibility you could lose your job just before you retire. Don’t think it could happen? This HuffPost article details just how companies sneakily rid themselves of older employees to avoid pensions and retirement payments.

What About Inflation?

If you’re forty or older, or even as young as thirty, you’ll know that your dollar doesn’t go as far as it used to. Inflation is a very real occurrence, and one that can have a serious effect on planning for retirement. Inflation causes costs to rise and the value of the dollar to go down; so that $450,000 you have saved for retirement could be worth even less twenty years from now.

In accounting for inflation, you’ll always want to save more than you think you need. As stated already several times, the more you save, the better. Even if you only save an extra $20,000, it’s still better than nothing. Don’t let inflation make your retirement plans outdated; plan for extra expenses and inflation by saving as much as you can every year. Eliminate costly, unnecessary expenses and instead invest in your retirement.

Social Security Will Help, Right?

Social security payments are valued resources for millions of retirees all over the country, but the unfortunate fact is that Social Security is set to run out of money in the future. In fact, by 2035, benefits are set to be significantly reduced if Congress doesn’t come up with a plan to save this much-needed system.

The bottom line is, you don’t want to depend on the government to fund your retirement; especially with the state the Social Security Administration is in today. Indecisive politics and irresponsible spending don’t have to affect your golden years as long as you’re saving the right amount every year.

It’s best to trust in your own money when saving for retirement. While you can still include potential social security benefits in your retirement plan, it’s better to depend on your own savings to get you through those post-working years. Save as much as you can!

Conclusion

Essentially, the sooner you get serious about your retirement, the better. Retirement should be fun and relaxing, not stressful and rife with financial woes. Save early, save often, and always recruit professional advice, so you know where to invest your money for optimal growth.

Benefits of Home School for Military Families

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Do you ever feel like your parenting plight is like a script from a Hollywood movie as far as your child’s educational options? As a military spouse of seventeen years, my friend often felt like Dorothy from the Wizard of Oz. While trying to physically, academically, emotionally, socially, financially, and psychologically navigate the nuances of raising her children she navigated the twisters of deployments, erratic schedules, and other unique challenges facing military families. In sum, online home school programs for students k-12 can serve as the “Emerald City” for educational needs facing this important population.

benefits of home school for military families — Benefits of Home School For Military Families

Ease on the Down the Educational Road: Flexibility

First, the main rationale for an online homeschool program involves the flexibility that it offers all learners, a trait that military families especially appreciate. As my husband prepares to deploy to Qatar this upcoming Saturday, I sadly realize how he will miss my daughters’ first official days of school during his service. It’s time to channel my inner Dorothy and remain resilient!

Speaking of resilience and flexibility, online homeschool programs enable families to accommodate their personal needs, allow you to work at your own pace, and freedom that traditional education programs never could. A recent article by Classen, Horn, & Palmer (2019) found that military students are often a highly neglected demographic in mainstream, traditional school approaches. Thus, the use of online programs could ensure more individualized attention, a family-centered approach that military members cherish, and even more reliable data and recordkeeping as far as transportable documentation. Make the Tin Man shine and “ease on the down educational road” with online homeschooling as your new GPS!

Lion Heart: Cultivating Courage and Character Education

Next, online homeschooling can better cultivate moral, ethical, civic, and character education due to the personalized nature of the lessons. Students can yield more affective learning because there’s more time to target lifelong lessons, without the over emphasis on test preparation that’s often prevalent in traditional school approaches.

To add an additional caveat, those who are interested in embedding more religious perspectives have greater opportunities to find curricular connections and crossovers within an online home school program because of the increased flexibility and more ample time advantages associated with the online paradigm.

A Rainbow of Responsibility and Creativity

online home school — Benefits of Home School for Military Families

Just as the vibrant colors of the movie illuminate, allow your kids to accrue more responsibility and creativity through a home school program. Contrary to the myths that home school parents coddle and helicopter, research contends how the opposite is true: “Kids in conventional educational [settings] have very little responsibility, because ultimately the school, the teacher, or the curriculum designer is given credit for kids’ success or failure. In self-directed education, the learner is making all the decisions, so they get all the credit for their own success or failure. That is responsibility” (McDonald, 2018, p. 7).

While I’m certainly not encouraging you to have your kiddos hang out with weird, eccentric characters like flying monkeys and scarecrows, it’s evident that students can gain more autonomy over their own learning when they participate in online home school programs from a young age-onward.

Creativity, real world relevance, and motivation are also major “rainbows” associated with online home school options. Research also depicts how online programs hone “around what the kids wanted to learn about” (McDonald, 2018, p. 6). Kids have more time to participate in music, art, dance, and other imaginative extensions and applications in online home

school programs. Marital arts, STEM, yoga, or ceramics, anyone?

Likewise, an interesting study by Jackson (2013) adamantly praised online home school programs for helping not only struggling students, those who are ESL/ELL, but also gifted, introverted, and possess special needs like OCD, ADD/ADHD, etc. One parent commented how it specifically allowed her child “to soar, not get bored, and to develop his talents and interests” (Jackson 2013, p 9). Let your kids’ true colors shine with online home schooling!

Ruby Slippers: Stress Management and Mental Health Merits

Lastly, like the dazzling ruby slippers that empowered and protected Dorothy, think of an online homeschool program as your child’s, tween’s, or teen’s pair of ruby red slippers, boots, flip flops, or sneakers against stress and mental health woes and “witches.”

Studies consistently confirm how military families often experience greater stress levels related to their unique circumstances, so home-based psychoeducational materials helped in one study to promote more positive, proactive attachment-based parenting and child education curricula, more peer support among parents, and increased connectedness among families to additional services (https://psycnet.apa.org/record/2018-26919-001). Remember, “There’s no place like home!”

Why Medical Malpractice Is Usually A Civil Offense

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Medicine is not always an exact science, and neither are most medical malpractice cases. Mistakes can be made, but unfortunately, these mistakes can impact our lives. When an error is made by your healthcare provider – whether it be your nurse, doctor, therapist, or whoever within the field – you likely have grounds to request compensation.

It is the job of malpractice lawyers to help those who have been injured move forward with their lives and to keep hospitals and staff accountable for the services they provide. Though criminal medical malpractice cases can exist, the majority fall under a civil offense.

State confidentiality laws make it difficult to research a doctor’s background information, including if they have been convicted of medical malpractice at any point during their career. Fortunately, most doctors are good doctors, and there is only a small percentage of those responsible for medical negligence.

Civil Cases for Medical Malpractice

When a healthcare provider does not follow the standard of care designated for the situation and that is followed by other practitioners, the patient has an argument for a medical malpractice case. These cases are defined by the negligence of the care provider. Whether a surgical tool is left inside of a patient or an incorrect diagnosis is made, they are responsible for any injuries that result from the mistake.

Medical malpractice cases are usually considered a civil offense. This means that the victim is fighting for compensation with no intention of punishing the defendant with jail time. The goal of the case is to gain financial help for medical bills, lost income, disability, and pain and suffering.

Though they do happen, a criminal medical malpractice case is incredibly rare. For a case to be considered criminal, the negligence of care would need to be life-threatening. Rather than a medical mistake, a case would become criminal because of a blatant disregard of information or treatment that results in loss of life, being intoxicated at work, or the abuse of a patient.

When a Case Becomes Criminal

If a medical malpractice case falls under extreme circumstances, it can be considered criminal. The doctor in question will need to be accused of gross negligence, deemed incompetent, or indifferent towards the patient’s care.

These cases are handled by government prosecutors who work on behalf of the victim and the state. Unlike civil cases, where the goal is to gain compensation for the victim, the goal of a criminal case is the punishment of the defendant. These cases can be tricky, as prosecutors will need to prove that the medical professional is guilty. While even the best doctor can make an honest mistake, it is incredibly hard to prove that poor or lack of care was done intentionally or maliciously.

If you are unsure if your case would be considered civil or criminal, a medical malpractice lawyer can help you navigate through the details during this stressful time. An expert opinion is the best way to determine how to move forward with your medical negligence claims.

How Often Does Medical Malpractice Occur?

Over 13,000 doctors have been disciplined for medical negligence. Negligence in the healthcare industry is also the third leading cause of death in the United States. Due to the nature of civil cases, many of these practitioners are able to retain their licenses and return to work once the case is resolved.

One thing to note about cases for medical malpractice is that they can earn huge punitive damages. In reality, a large damages payout is awarded to less than one percent of cases. Another misconception is that hospitals and doctors are being sued left and right. The reality is that only one in eight medical errors ends up resulting in a lawsuit. Regardless of these misconceptions, medical negligence comes in a variety of forms and it is important to bring these issues to light when you think you may have been the victim of an error.

Patients rarely expect medical negligence to occur when they visit a hospital or physician for care. Your health and well-being are essential, and working with an experienced lawyer will help you receive the compensation you deserve. I just wish I had known the right kind of lawyer to call back in 2012 when I had surgery that went awry.

Attract Songbirds To Your Backyard With These 10 Tips

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Guide created by Bird-X a commercial pest control company

How To Shop Smart For Used Cars

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Financial planners often recommend purchasing used cars rather than going out and buying a new car. The reason behind that is that when you purchase that sparkling new vehicle from the dealership lot, the value decreases almost immediately – and significantly too. By purchasing a used car, you can avoid that instant deflation, and put your hard-earned money to better use.

shop for used cars — How to shop smart for used cars

The average price of a used car in 2018 was $20,390 compared to the average price of a new car which was a whopping $35,250. Of course, you don’t want to get a lemon either – by shopping smart, you can get a great used car and enjoy the savings too.

Shop Online First

Avoid spending hours and hours of your time driving around to a bunch of dealerships and haggling with car salesmen by narrowing down your search online first. If you already have an idea of what make and model you want to purchase, search online first to see which dealerships have the vehicle available. Since you are buying used, not every dealership will have the car you want, in the color you want, with low miles, and in your budget.

Purchase from a Reputable Dealer

One of the most important things you can do is to do some research to be sure that you purchase your used car from an established, reputable dealership. The small corner lot dealer may have the lowest price, but more than likely that haven’t done a full review and quality check of the cars they’re selling. Well-known dealerships like Toyota, Ford, and Chevrolet, can be found in every state and provide a guarantee as to the condition of their used cars. You should also know that these dealerships have used cars in many different makes and models, not just their own.

Another benefit of purchasing from some large dealerships is no-haggle pricing. Search for options in your area like DGDG that don’t pay commission to salesmen and negotiating the cost of the car is generally off the table, since they tend to price vehicles at the lowest market rates. It makes the entire process much less stressful and dramatically reduces the chances of getting “taken.” If you own a house among Scottsdale real estate in Arizona, for example, you’re likely to find many of these reputable dealerships in the area, although they can be found in most major cities these days.

Get a Warranty

It’s essential to ensure that the used car you purchase comes with a good warranty. Most manufacturers offer coverage for three years or 36,000 miles but ask your dealer about an extended warranty for five years or 50,000 miles, or the longest warranty available which may cover the vehicle for as long as 10 years or 100,000 miles.

A bumper-to-bumper warranty will cover the cost of damage to all parts of your car, except for normal wear items, such as tires, brakes, and windshield wipers. Powertrain warranties cover all moving parts, including the engine, transmission, and suspension.