Spreading Germs and Washing Hands

I was sickened when I saw the statistics on public hand washing. It was very disturbing. Disturbing enough that I have started a Hand Washing Campaign with my kids, just to make sure that it is ingrained into their heads.

I have taught them to wash with soap and water for as long as it takes to sing the ABC's, twice. Then to turn off the bathroom faucets using a paper towel, so as not to pick up the germs again and to open all public restroom doors using the paper towel they dried their hands with, so as not to pick up someone else's germs that left the restroom without washing.

I am working with them on washing their hands after they touch their face, the cat or dog, the garbage can, the floor or the bottoms of their shoes. And always before eating (you should see my house at dinner time. Everyone sitting down at the table, heads bowed for the prayer, Mommy asks, who has washed their hands and the table clears as everyone races to the bathroom to wash up. Then a steady procession of small children returning with moist, pink little hands, held out in front of them positioned for mommy to smell them. Proof that they indeed used soap.), before cooking, before putting away the dishes and after playing outside. They are getting better and better.

However, I wasn't sure that they understood the concept that there are germs all around them. They get on their hands and they spread them by touching things. I was really excited when my friend T told me about a project that she had seen where you wet a child's hands and sprinkle them with glitter. Then everything they touch gets glitter on it. After awhile you can take your child back and show them where they have been, what they have touched and what "has germs" on it from their hands. I can't wait to try it out with my little ones.

For your knowlegde pleasure, here is the study I found about hand washing in public restrooms from the Minnesota Department of Health website.

Hand Washing Statistics: People Don’t Wash Hands

Some statistics illustrating that people don't wash their hands. Excerpt from the 2006 Minnesota Hand washing Tool Kit.

• American Society of Microbiology studies showed:
  • 97% of females and 92% of males say they wash
    • of these only 75% females and 58% males washed
  • 50% of middle and high school students say they wash
    • of these 33% of females and only 8% of males used soap while washing hands
• Minnesota Department of Health led three observational studies:
  • 2003 Back to 50’s Car Show Event—64% females washed and 30% males
  • 2003 State Fair—65% females washed and 39% males
  • 2004 State Fair—75% females washed and 51% males

(Source: 2006 Minnesota Handwashing Tool Kit)

Treating the effects of a good meal

I love a good meal and while I enjoy things spiced well, my tummy doesn't always agree. I will end up with indigestion almost every time. One thing that has worked well for me is a glass of very cold, whole milk. I am not sure the reasoning behind it and I am sure it is nothing more than an old wives tale but it works well to control the acid reflux and ease my discomfort. But at night time, it's a completely different story. If I eat and then lay down, it does not matter how much milk I drank or how cold it was or how thick, the heartburn will continue. I have learned to get around this most of the time by eating early or easing off on the spices with a late night meal. However, it can not always be avoided. Dinner parties, traveling etc. can lead to situations where I am eating late and much spicier foods than I am used too. Then I am up all night.

I will usually try to sleep by propping pillows up behind me to elevate myself and this works until I try to roll over and the pillow stack collapses. Not to mention, it's very difficult to find a comfortable sleeping position on a pillow mountain. But I have started seeing more and more of these sleep wedges. It's simply a large, firm pillow in the form of a wedge to give your body the elevation it needs to relieve the symptoms of acid reflux. Now for me, the occasional suffer it would be nice, but for someone that has chronic acid reflux, this could be a lifesaver, or at least a dream saver. Yea, I'm cheesy, I know it. Something else I found that looked wonderful was a Medibeads King size Heating pad. It delivers warm, moist heat to aching muscles. Now I can totally see that helping me sleep better!

My Kitchen Toys

I love "Kitchen Toys" and I love to cook if I have the right "toys" to make it easy. So my husband has learned that if he wants me to cook something the best thing he can do is buy me a new toy. Most recently I got a sandwich maker and he has been talking lately about getting me a new smoothie maker and waffle maker. But I have my eye set on an icecream maker/dispenser and a food dehydrator. I saw a couple in magazines like SkyMall and Kitchen Creations (I think that's what it's called) and they can be so expensive and range in quality and features so drastically. I really just want to get the best product and the best buy. I have to keep looking but I would love any suggestions on which appliances you prefer when it comes to icecream makers and food dehydrators and where you found the best buys.

The Aftermath of a Good Trip

I love to travel and I always hate coming home. Not just because I am getting back to the daily grind and the routine chores, but also because my body has never handled the climate and time changes very well. You know what I mean? We left New York on Monday and flew home and it wasn't until we got home that I realized what havoc the humidity had played on my skin. Suddenly my skin, especially my face, was uncomfortably dry and itchy. Not to mention, the humidity left me in desperate need of a good acne treatment!

And then there is the time change. My internal clock never seems to adjust to time changes at all. I will get onto the East Coast and at Midnight, I am still wide awake and raring to go but come morning, do not even think about waking me before 11am. It really messes things up. Then I get home and I am ready for bed at 10pm and up at 6am for the next week!

But all the bad that comes from coming home, I would not trade my travels for anything I have seen so far!

What NOT to put in a Restaurant Restroom!

I just have to laugh, I was dining with a friend of mine at one of our favorite restaurants yesterday and I excused myself to use the restroom. As much as I love this restaurant, I will leave it nameless, I have never used their facilities. So I walked into this very nice restroom and as I was leaving I noticed that they had, not only a mirror, but a full bathroom vanity! Now I am a very curious person but not to the point of actually opening someone else's bathroom vanity to see what is inside. So I left the restaurant very perplexed as to why anyone would put a full vanity in a restaurant restroom and very curious as to what anyone would put in bathroom vanities in restaurants. And the more I think about it, the more I wish I had taken just a small peek!

What is the funniest thing you have seen in a Restaurant?