Healthy Living

Easy Mattress Pad Instructions

Mattress Pad

I just had a wrestling match with my mattress pad. It’s thick, quilted and king size. The top and bottom edges are elastic to hold onto my over-stuffed, 15″ deep, pillow top mattress. It was late and I was tired. I stretched the elastic over one corner of the mattress and moved to the next corner. As soon as I touched the mattress cover, the first corner popped off. My cat, Cookie, just sat on the bare mattress watching me try over and over again to hold down the first corner as I stretched the pad to reach the second corner. After several attempts, I knew I needed to find another way. Then, it dawned on me … I needed to stretch the mattress pad diagonal to the first corner. That would keep tension on the first corner and hold it in place. It worked! Then, it was easy to do the other two corners. So, there’s the secret to replacing a mattress pad on a king size bed when you have to do it alone.

Marilyn Kvasnok

Popular Baby Names

Jun 15th, 2010

by Marilyn.

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As a Baby Boomer, I’ve earned the right to talk about the Good Old Days. When I was in school, my friends had names like Kathy, Mary, Susan, Robert, William and John. OK, so Marilyn isn’t one of the most common names. But, it wasn’t that unusual back then, either. I wasn’t named after Marilyn Monroe, but she was very popular back then. Dad wanted to name me Mary, like my mom. Mom wanted to name me after her mom, Eva, but update it to Evelyn. They settled on Marilyn. Good thing. I don’t think I’m an Evelyn! Funny how we grow into our name.

Today, I don’t meet many young people with common names. So, now the trend is unique names. But, the more they’re given, the more common they become. I’m thinking there’s always a Madison, Taylor, Logan and Jayden in every classroom. I hope there’s also a Kathy, Mary, Susan, Robert, William and John.

Here’s a database of the most popular baby names, sorted by state, by year and for the last 100 years. Surprisingly, some common names made the list.

Is your name on the list? How about your children and grandchildren?

Marilyn Kvasnok

Top 10 Healthy Skin Tips

Mar 27th, 2010

by Marilyn.

6 comments

Babies are born with the softest and smoothest skin. But as we age, our skin can take a real beating. An unhealthy diet, air pollution, soaps and cleansers, smoking, sunburns, tanning booths and cheap cosmetics with harmful chemicals. It all contributes to the aging effect and shows the most on your face.

If you want healthy skin, you need to take care of it. And the best time to start is today! It’s possible to slow down and even improve the health of your skin. Make these 10 tips part of your daily routine and they’ll become good habits.

Avoid excessive sun exposure. A little sun is good. It helps your body make vitamin D. But too much sun, especially in the heat of the day, can burn your skin. So, wear sunscreen on all exposed skin. And wear a hat to shield your face.
Take a multivitamin to guarantee you get sufficient vitamin D.
Use moisturizer to keep you skin hydrated and protect it from the elements.
Use all natural cleansers with no harmful chemicals. Gently wash your face in an upwards direction. Never pull the skin downward.
Don’t smoke. Smoking causes wrinkles and premature aging.
Sleep on your back. It helps counteract the gravity that’s been pulling your face downward all day. And it keeps your face from being pulled by the weight of your face on the pillow, if you were to sleep on your side.
Facial exercises can help keep a youthful look. It can avoid and even improve wrinkles, crow’s feet, laugh lines and a sagging neck. Even smiling and laughing helps to exercise facial muscles. There are many facial exercise experts. Carol Maggio is at the top of my list.
Eat a healthy diet of fruits, vegetables, lean meats, fish and healthy fats like olive oil. Chocolate is NOT one of the 5 food groups on the food pyramid!
Don’t touch your face. Your hands have bacteria that can cause infection and make your skin break out.
Use all natural cosmetics. Anything you put ON your skin gets absorbed INTO your skin. From there it goes to your bloodstream. Make sure it doesn’t contain harmful chemicals.

Marilyn Kvasnok

Free Shipping Day 2009

Dec 17th, 2009

by Marilyn.

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Today is the 2nd annual Free Shipping Day. Hundreds of merchants are offering free shipping today with delivery by Christmas Eve. Visit my free shipping offers at . . .

No matter which product line you start with, ALL products are eligible for free shipping. Happy shopping!

Brain Fitness – Free Crossword Puzzle

Jul 10th, 2009

by Marilyn.

2 comments

Are you in a rut? Doing the same things day after day? Or not doing much of anything at all? Have you become a couch potato?

We all have a daily routine: Regular times to eat, sleep, shower, watch TV and work. There’s nothing wrong with having a routine. As a full time caregiver for my mom, who’s no longer independent, I thrive on routine. That way, both of us know what needs to be done and the schedule keeps us on track.

But, stimulating your brain with something new is the way to learn and grow. It’s also one way to improve memory and concentration.

Brain exercise is an important part of staying healthy. One way to challenge your brain is to play games – Any game that you find fun and stimulating.

Here’s a free online crossword puzzle. There’s a new one every day, so come back often to play.