What Winter?

We have been experiencing a very warm winter with very little snowfall this year.

 What has happened to our cold, blustery winter weather.  I expected the snow to be hard to shovel and ice covering walkways.  However, this is not the case.  There is no snow on the ground and winter is coming to its end soon.  At least this will help with winter heat bills.  How can you not like that?  The winter was warm so this means that we can now look forward to a hotter summer.  That's not so good for some of us.

Instead of paying for higher heat bills we will be paying for higher cooling bills.  Air conditioning will be necessary to keep the air cool enough for our comfort in the summertime.

So I am looking forward to Spring and seeing the spring flowers appear.  Allergies will be coming along with it but we must endure.  The trees looked like this a couple of months ago or so.  Now they are bidding again.  How many think it's due to environmental impacts?  Let us know what you think about our winter this year.

Allergies And Outdoor Activities!

Well, as you know I have been trying to get into the habit of riding a bicycle that I just recently got from a friend.  I like the bike and want to ride it all day long but that is not reality.  It may have been when I was a kid but now I am an older person and just want to get back into cycling.  This is a challenge as I have acquired allergies to the great outdoors, even in the city.  So I have been living with allergies for quite some time and just want them to go away.  Obviously they will not...at least not without a little help.  I am confronted with a challenge and while I don't have much of a solution, there are things that can be done.  I have a short list of things that a person can do to help themselves during allergy season.  So the dreaded ragweed allergens come just in time for the cooler weather that is good for riding in.  Here are some natural things to do when dealing with ragweed/hay fever.  This list only contains natural remedies and no over-the-counter drugs.

1.  Take good care of your body.  I always feel better when I can get plenty of sleep at night.  Allergies actually help with this because breathing them in is like taking a drug and I am very sleepy all day.  Allergies also give me symptoms such as scratchy and dry throat and inflammation inside of my lungs so that it is harder to breathe (but I still breathe alright).  I am very thankful that I don't need an inhaler.  I find that eating right and especially eating apples, oranges and onions can slow an allergic response because they contain quercetin.  Only eating the whole food is what is helpful.  Whole foods have not been pasteurized like orange juice.  Our bodies need the best and the freshest food possible.  And of course, drink plenty of good water to make sure that your body is getting rid of excess toxins.

2.  If need be, stay indoors.  We can avoid the allergens for the most part if we just stay inside.  Do this if you are very allergic to the outdoors.  By avoiding the allergens all together it will become easier in the long run to get through this season until it gets cold enough to freeze the ragweed.  The ragweed will no longer be putting out pollen after a few hard frosts come along.  Winter will bring much relief, even though it seems like Autumn will last forever, it won't.

3.  Make sure to wash your clothes and take frequent showers.  When you come into the house after being outside for a long enough time for pollen to make you lightheaded or foggy then come in and take a shower and change your clothes.  Then stay in the house for the duration of the day.  For some people pollen is less at night.  The morning tends to be the worse time for pollen in the air.  I also have a hard time until evening comes.  I feel best after dark.  It isn't easy but doing things after dark gets easier as the daytime shortens.  As winter comes closer and closer, especially after October in the Northern areas, pollen allergens will become less and less.  If you have allergies in the winter then it is probably due to the allergens from pets, heating ducts and so on.

4.  Keep pets indoors.  Taking a pet for a walk will be a problem unless your allergies are not too bad.  If your allergies are bad enough then getting a friend or family member to help with walking the dog will be essential.  Pets can bring things in on their fur as well but this shouldn't be too bad if you don't go up and hug your dog as soon as he/she comes into the house.

5.  Blood sugar problems can worsen.  If you have low blood sugar, your body will need more energy and/or protein to keep up with allergens in the air when fall and spring come around or whenever your allergies are triggered.  This will vary from person to person.  I am not trying to give advice on low blood sugar and you should see a doctor if you have any blood sugar related issues.  Seasonal allergies, chemical allergies and food allergies can make your blood sugar become lower than normal from the added stress on your adrenal glands that allergies can induce.  This is the problem that I have but not everyone will have this problem.  When you know your triggers and know what to do about them, life can be much happier.  I personally get help from eating apples and oranges.  Remember that some foods can lower blood sugar also like onions and celery.  I have a hard time with eating onions.  I will try to do a post on diet and exercise for low blood sugar individuals.  Remember to always consult with your doctor before trying anything new.

6.  Having allergies can affect you economically.  This can affect your work performance and possibly count for some sick days depending on how bad the allergies become.  If you are suffering so much that it is affecting your job than this may help Severe Allergies.

If you have any other ideas please don't hesitate to comment.  Every little bit helps when it comes to such a difficult subject about our health.

End Of Summer Yard Sale

I am thinking about having an end of summer yard sale.  I can save the money for heating in the winter.  I don't have too many items that will bring in much but I do have a lot of things that I could try to sell for cheap.  Things that get in the way and pile up.  I have been throwing things away that are broken or unusable.  This is the journey that will take a bit of doing.  I like to keep things because I don't always have the extra money to buy new things.  Sometimes I do and sometimes I don't.  We have more money than we think, we just have to be responsible as to how we are spending what we have.  Good stewardship is the key.  This has proved to be bittersweet.  When things get to be too much then it's time to unload.  Other people can sort it out as to what they want.  Even a box marked "Free" can help because you are getting things out of your way and a much easier house to clean. 

So now you get the big picture.  Society is moving fast now.  Not that we need to keep up with it but that we need to keep from being caught under it.  I hope that makes sense.  I posted an article previously about this here Learn To Declutter Wisely! and I am following through.  So join me as I try to keep from being caught under the stuff.  Americans consume more of pretty much everything as opposed to the rest of the world.

Here is a graph showing American spending.  This graph shows the essential as well as the non-essential spending Americans are used to.  It dates from 1961-2009 overall.  We can get a good idea from this that we need to cut back on spending but it does keep people working also.  Someone has to run the cash register.  Remember this only goes to 2009.  I will try to get a more up-to-date graph as I continue on this journey.

Bloomberg seems to have the right idea.  Increased spending should help out our economy right?  That is what I have heard.  Hopefully it is a good sign for the economy and Americans can breathe a sigh of relief.  But if not, and Americans are spending money they don't have needlessly then maybe we need to recover some of that money.  Thus the need for yard sales and thrift stores.  Americans spend more than we should but hopefully that will help to boost the economy and lean things more in our favor again.  It's not impossible but not sure it it will happen the way we would like.

Tell me your experience if you have tried to recover money to cover expenses.  Thanks for reading and leaving a comment.

Bikes, Bikes and More Bikes! Yikes!

I have recently acquired a bicycle from a friend.  This was a very nice gift and I have tried to get back into riding.  I am taking it slow but staying with it.  I don't ride far yet.  I plan on using it for getting to the store and going to places close by.  I would love it if I could use it for everything.  This would help in saving money.  The gas money that I would  save can be used for something more necessary.  I'm not sure what but there are always things that come up.

The picture below is of my old bike, I have a new bike and now I have too many bikes.  I am going to put two bikes up for sale and hope to get a decent price for them.  That would be a big help.  Possibly

My old Trek 3700 WSD

save it for a rainy day.  So this is what I have been doing lately.  My new bike doesn't have disk brakes or anything special.  It's just a nice bike.  It's nice to have something my size for more control.  My old bike is too big for me.  It was sold to me that way because the person just wanted to make a sale.  Now I have been fitted to the new bicycle.  It's much better.  Saying goodbye to the old bike, which I still like but have no need for.

Share your experience below.  I would love to hear about it.  Basically, bicycling is for everyone.

The Zika Virus Organic Solution For Little Money

With diseases increasing through mosquito transmission we must take a look at the facts and help our families the best way possible.  The solution that I am proposing will help greatly.    There are so many things happening out there and we need to stop the progression of the destruction of our health starting with stopping these very devastating diseases.  This virus has come to the United States and now we need to look at this closely.

One really important solution to stopping this virus is to let bats fly through the air and eat up all those nasty mosquitoes.  This solution is free and effective unless you have to make a bat house to keep them on your property, but that is not very costly, here is a link to help protect the bats with bat houses, Build A Bat House.  You can also find bat houses on Amazon here, Deluxe Bat House as low as $30.00.  People don't usually like it when a bat flies too close to their homes or yards.  However, if we will only allow them to eat the mosquitoes then we would be better off.  Don't kill them when they are around.  They don't care about people, just mosquitoes.  A bat will not harm a person unless it is a vampire bat...oh boy.  But we do not have vampire bats where I live.  I have had a bat in my house on a few occasions and they have never cared about coming after us, they just want to find a way out.  So get them toward the front door and if you can't, turning on a light will help.  They do seem to fly towards the light.  This is what helped me to get a bat out of our house quickly.  Even if you have a two story which I do, then turn on a light where they are and where you want them to go and they will find their way but block off other rooms or they will want to fly into adjoining rooms or rooms with doors open.  So shut all doors also.  Easy as can be once you have some experience with this.  It seems intimidating and it can be but it isn't too hard to do, even with just one person.  Although that can be a little bit challenging.  You CAN do it!   

When the rains come you can also keep the mosquitoes from breeding by not allowing any standing water to remain after a rain.  But it's not always possible to keep the mosquitoes from breeding as they will also breed in the grass after a rainstorm.  This is where people want to use chemicals but I say don't use this method as it will destroy the health of the person using it and children.  If need be, stay indoors after a big rain and don't schedule any events if you know there is an abundance of mosquitoes outside.

Another solution is to get on your knees and pray.  This is the most effective thing that we can do.  Just don't forget to have faith when you pray.  He will hear you and he will answer.

Stay safe outdoors, you can still have fun when you need to bring the party indoors.  Protect your little ones, pregnant women and the elderly.  We can find ways that are quite effective in keeping us safe.  We just need to look into it and do the things that are advantageous for our families and ourselves.

Learn To Declutter Wisely!

We can all say that we have too much stuff!  That seems to be a given.  Some of us have already begun to get rid of the clutter in our homes, but for the rest of us, this will be a journey.  Thanks to all of the information online and some of my own experiences, I can pass the information along to you and I hope that you find it helpful.  If we could only get rid of the clutter in our homes, we can sell what we have in a yard sale that will bring in a little bit of cash.  The cash that we gain from our old stuff can be put toward something that we need.  This is not to buy more stuff, but to put it toward the things that are important to us and our families.  Some examples could be to buy some clothes for our kids from the thrift store.  Avoid the department stores and stores in the mall that are too high priced.  Another idea is that it can be put into a piggy bank to save for something bigger.  Saving it can help with more costly purchases or to get gas for the family vehicle, or can even tackle part of bigger bills.  For example, I have not recovered money through yard sales yet but I am getting things together to accomplish it.

How To Sell Used Items

1.  Keep prices low.  They will not buy items if they have to buy a very gently used item for almost what it costs in the store.  People are looking for deals so just think realistically about what you are selling and don't get attached to these things.  That is what I have done and learned the hard way.

2.  Clean up your yard.  This will  help attract people to your home.  They will know that you have taken care of the items in your home if your yard looks neat and clean.

3.  Make sure your items for sale are clean also.  Everything looks more valuable when cleaned up.  This is especially true for bicycles.  I have seen that a bike that collects dust looks like you can't even give it away but a nicely cleaned up bicycle can possibly bring in a little more money, if it is still in good shape anyway.

4.  Remember the box marked "Free".  If people are looking at the free box then they will stop and take a look at other items also.  Make sure they are nicely placed on a table so people can look through an organized pile of clothes, purses...etc.

In summary, getting rid of the clutter in your home can motivate you by selling it or giving it to a thrift store or charity.  You will have more room to move and breathe.  It will feel good, like a breath of fresh air.  Keep it in check and don't let it get out of hand.  Don't throw anything away that can be used by someone else.  If it is in good condition and still has some use in it, then make sure it gets a new home as long as you no longer need it.  That is the wise way to get rid of the clutter in your home.  Every little bit helps.  Don't let it get overwhelming.  An hour a day can do wonders when there is no time to tackle any large task.  Tell me what you think. Include any of your own experiences.   Leave a comment and share your ideas.