Gadgets Archives - AKAMom Magazine

Feel Good About Clearing Clutter

wmanning — Tue, 26 Apr 2016 16:26:15 +0000

Whether spring or summer, extended breaks from the day-to-day routines are great for making new family memories. They are also great for taking some time to recall previous ones often found in items around the house.

From those old baby clothes and toys to books and dusty tech you haven’t touched in years, these “memories” may be cluttering your home. Spend some time as a family and clear out what you no longer need. For some extra motivation, approach your cleaning with a fresh perspective: donating your gently-used items will help others while freeing up space for new memories.

Get on your way to a cleaner, less cluttered home with these tips:

Take it one room at a time. Whether you live in a modest apartment or a sprawling single-family home, overhauling your entire living space at once is an overwhelming prospect. Instead, focus on one room at a time with a timeframe that makes sense for your schedule.

Don’t save the worst for last. Avoid the temptation to leave your messiest catch-all room for the end. Instead, tackle it first and spend extra time thinking about where you can reassign some of the clutter, so it’s not all accumulating in a single room.

Give items meaning. Take a cue from stylist, author and TV host Emily Henderson and implement a rule that items you keep should be at least two of three things: functional, sentimental and beautiful. If an item is none of these (like an old food storage container without a lid), toss it. Especially if you are low on space, only hang on to those items that serve two or more roles.

Sort your stuff into piles. In every room, you’ll find items you need to keep close at hand, others you’d like to keep but could be stashed away, things that may have value to others and stuff that simply needs to be trashed.

Look for ways to give back. While it sometimes makes sense to resell unwanted items online or through a yard sale, donating is another way you can give these goods a second life and help bring warmth, happiness and smiles to others. Through its Glad to Give program, the Glad Products Company makes donating easy because you can fill a Glad ForceFlex bag, stretch it and stuff it with just about anything you want to donate. Clothing is one of the best things to donate so others can make better use of the gently-loved items you are hoarding, Henderson said. Unless a garment has been worn in the last four seasons, donate it. Other prime candidates for donating: toys, sports equipment, DVDs and home gadgets.

Organize what remains. Once you’ve cleared the clutter and determined which items will stay, find attractive ways to create order and manage the mess. You can choose from a wide range of organizational options – everything from shelves and baskets to storage furniture and closet systems – to help make the most of your space and reveal more inviting rooms that make you feel comfortable at home.

Find resources for giving back, and schedule a free local donation pickup for an organization of your choice, at GladtoGive.com.

Photo courtesy of Rachel Hollis, The Chic Site

The post Feel Good About Clearing Clutter appeared first on AKAMom Magazine.

Health and Fitness Gift Ideas for the Holidays

wmanning — Mon, 23 Dec 2013 23:55:51 +0000

By Rebecca Maxwell

One of the most challenging aspects of the holidays is finding the perfect gifts for your friends and family. With Christmas just around the corner, it’s now crunch time for millions of people scrambling for last-minute gift ideas. In addition, the right gift can help your loved ones reach their health and fitness goals for the coming year! Here are some of the best health and fitness products that can be great holiday gifts:

1. Withings Smart Body Analyzer

http://www.withings.com/en/bodyanalyzer

A scale on steroids, the Smart Body Analyzer from Withings not only monitors weight but body composition, heart rate, and even air quality in your house. It integrates with a smartphone app that allows you to set weekly goals and provides tips and reminders.

2. The GLO Bag: Ultimate Gym Locker Organizer

http://theglobag.com/products-page/glo-bags/ladies-bag-hot-pink/

A great gift for moms, the GLO bag is a handy organizer for all of her gym essentials like clothes, towels, shoes, and cosmetics. What’s more, it hangs neatly in gym lockers and can be carried like a regular backpack.

3. Subscription Health or Snack Boxes

http://www.klutchclub.com/

http://www.bulubox.com/

http://naturebox.com/

Keep your friends and family on track to meet goals in 2014 with a subscription box service. Depending on which one you choose, these boxes contain a variety of health and/or snack products and are delivered every month. A large range of products for both men and women are available.

4. YurBuds Inspire Pro Earphones

http://yurbuds.com/products/in-the-ear/inspire-pro/

Earphones that continually fall out are just plain annoying while exercising or hitting the gym. These ones from YurBuds are guaranteed to stay in your ear. They also come with a three-button microphone so that you can skip tracks, make calls, and adjust the volume on the move.

5. Men’s Under Armour Workout Shorts

http://www.underarmour.com/shop/us/en/mens-ua-multiplier-10-shorts/pid1228558-002

Help keep Dad comfortable and looking good at the gym with a new pair of workout shorts. These shorts are ultimate exercise necessity for men because they are breathable, wick moisture, and allow for a wide range of motion.

With products like these, you can help keep your family and friends on track to meet their health and fitness goals in 2014!

The post Health and Fitness Gift Ideas for the Holidays appeared first on AKAMom Magazine.

THE HOME: A PLACE OF DANGER OR SAFETY FOR CHILDREN?

wmanning — Thu, 15 Aug 2013 03:11:15 +0000

The home is a revered place in the context of family life and has spawned many wonderful adages such as “Be it ever so humble, there is no place like home”, “Home is where the heart is” and many more. Among its definitions are: a valued place regarded as a refuge or place of origin; a congenial environment; a place that serves as a social unit formed by a family living together; and an environment offering security and happiness. In general, a home often fosters images of warmth, comfort, security and happiness.

In reality though, the home can be and often is a dangerous place for health and safety. Health agencies have reported that one-third of all fatal injuries and one-third of injury-related accidents treated in emergency rooms happen in the home. Among those most vulnerable to injuries and harm are children. If the most important responsibility of parents is to protect the health and safety of their children, it is critical that they are aware of the potential health hazards in the home and take every measure available to ensure that the home is indeed a safe environment for their loved ones.

Two of the greatest sources of danger to children in the home are injuries, and even death, from choking and falls. Addressing that problem, a Southern California-based company – Big John Products, Inc. – has created, manufactured and is distributing two patented products specifically designed to prevent harm to children from these two sources in the home.

Heimlich Helper: A Life Saving Deterrent to Choking

Surveys have revealed that 60% of children (ages 14 years and under) who are admitted to emergency rooms are there as a result of choking on food. The New York State Department of Health reports that choking is the fourth largest cause of death for children less than five years of age and the primary reason is related to choking on food.

The Heimlich Helper provides an individual who is choking with the ability to remove the foreign object without the aid of another person – much as the “Heimlich Maneuver” is utilized for the same purpose when applied by another person. It is lightweight and can be used by children or it has two person grips that allow another person (e.g. parent, sibling) to assist if needed. It has no batteries and comes with a wall mount enabling it to be available in a convenient place (e.g. kitchen). The Heimlich Helper is easy to administer and can be used in two ways: (1) with the person’s back to the wall administering the thrusts towards his/her stomach or (2) with the device anchored to a table with the thrusts going forward.

Window Wedgie: Eliminating Harm to Children Outside the House

Keeping the children inside the home and safe is critical – especially preventing them from falling through windows. The Center for Injury Research and Policy of the National Children’s Hospital reported that during a recent 18 year period, an average of 5,200 adolescents per year were treated for window falls (average of 18 per day) with an average of eight deaths per year.

The Window Wedgie was created to keep children inside and safe – both from falling out of windows and also for use with sliding glass doors to restrict them from getting outside and being exposed to a myriad of potential sources of harm (e.g. pools, hillsides, animals, getting lost). The device is simple to install, easily removable and will withstand 50 pounds of pressure. Recommended amount of space to be open is four inches.

With proper recognition of the inherent dangers that lurk for children in the home combined with taking proper measures to eliminate these potential sources of harm, parents can ensure that the home will truly be a place of safety and security for their children.

Additional information on the Heimlich Helper and Window Wedgie can be obtained from the company’s website, www.bigjohnproducts.com.

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