Plan ahead, make ahead when it's your turn to throw a great holiday party
01.01.70
One of the
more unnerving
phrases in modern language
goes something like this: "Isn't it your turn to have the gang over?"
Thunk. That's the sound of you passing out.
Why does entertaining make the blood run cold? What's so darned intimidating about hosting a simple open house?
Call it a combination of Martha Overload plus too many hours channel-surfing the Food Network and HGTV. (Limited time, energy and resources also come into play, of course.)
Go to enough great parties -- or, observe them in glossy magazine spreads and on television -- and you begin to suffer a weird confluence of house- and host-envy. We doubt our ability to cook up a righteous storm, put on the Ritz and stage a real smash bash.
While we can't do much to spruce up your decor or amp up your personal charm, we can suggest a few things that anyone can do to make holiday entertaining a whole lot easier.
Source: Plain Dealer
Natural Cold and Flu Remedies
01.01.70
Have you ever wondered why the colder months are also the season for colds and flu? People spend more time indoors, air circulation is poorer, and there is far greater chance of catching airborne germs. Put one child with a cold in a room full of other children, and you can create a cold epidemic in just days. Once again, cold season has commenced, with coughing, sinus congestion, and the dullness that colds impart. The same is true for flu. Fortunately, natural remedies can help you to battle colds and flu more quickly, and to reduce the severity of symptoms. Here are a few of my favorite, side effect-free natural remedies.
Ginger
Fresh ginger root is my favorite pick for cold care. Buy ginger fresh (preferably organic) and cut a piece about an inch and a half long. Either chop the ginger finely, or grate it. Put the finely minced ginger into a tea strainer, and put the tea strainer in a cup. Pour fresh boiling water into the cup. Let the tea sit for five minutes. Remove the tea strainer, and squeeze the ginger with a spoon to get a bit more of the ginger juice into the cup. Flavor with a spoonful of honey, and sip. Ginger contains a group of compounds called sesquiterpenes, which kills rhinoviruses, the agents that cause colds. So when you have a cold, several bracing cups of fresh ginger root tea can help you to reduce the severity and duration of that unwanted event. Ginger tea also helps to relieve a sore throat. Drink three or more cups daily until you are well. For children, dilute the concentration of the tea, so it’s less spicy.
Source: Fox News