​1: BOOT DROP-OFF

As I just mentioned, Jonathan works in landscaping. He wears steel-toed boots to work every day. During the day, he is often walking through grass, mud, and mulch. I decided that we should probably have a rule about keeping his boots outside of our bedroom.

​2: KEEP THAT KEYBOARD CLEAN

I use my keyboard every single day. That means that the bit of dirt and natural oils on my skin will transfer over to my keyboard. We’ve all seen things like our keyboard or our phone case get dirty, and it isn’t very comforting. Keep your keyboard clean by using an old toothbrush to clean between the keys.

3: ADD BORAX TO NEUTRALIZE SMELLS

​We went through this with my grandmother. Her clothes and some of her washable items smelled terrible! We washed her clothes like she normally would, but we added borax into the mix and it really helps to neutralize any foul or overpowering odors!

4: USE AN OLD, THICK SOCK TO MOP

If you have one of those “Swiffer” mops, you can stop overpaying for those pre-treated cleaning pads and use an old sock from your sock drawer instead. Combine this with a cleaner meant for your floors and mop! Whenever you’re done, you can simply wash the sock and reuse it time and time again to keep your floors clean!

5: KEEP YOUR SHOWER CLEAN 

​If you’re like me, your shower probably gets neglected in the cleaning process. I saw this great hack where you can use one of those dish scrubbers with the fillable chamber and give your shower door and tiles a light scrub while you’re in the shower. You’re killing two birds with one stone!

​6: TURN CLEANING INTO A GAME FOR YOUR KIDS

I remember when I was young that we would dry the floors with paper towels and pretend we were skating! I’ve seen now where people get fluffy socks or slippers made for dusting while you walk. Put these on your kids and make a game of it. Your floors will look great, and you’ll entertain your kids for a while!

7: CLEAN OFF STUCK-ON FOOD EASILY

We all have that one casserole dish that never wants to let the food go. Food easily sticks in them and it is really hard to get the food unstuck during any hand-washing process. One thing you can do to make dishes like this easier to clean is to fill the dish with water, a dash of dish detergent, and a dryer sheet.

​8: KEEP MAKEUP BRUSHES CLEAN WITH A TRIVET

I love this hack! Many stores try to sell “makeup brush cleaning pads” that cost a fortune. However, you could clean your brushes for as little as a dollar with this hack. I like to use baby shampoo on my makeup brushes. ​Find a trivet that is raised in some areas.

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My school recently offered training that taught the basics of bleeding control through a nation-wide initiative called “Stop the Bleed.” ​During this specific training, we received active shooter training as well as the bleeding control training.   I won’t pretend that I’m an expert on things like this, but I wanted to share some of my “civilian” knowledge on a few things you can do to help save the life of someone with a life-threatening injury.

1: KNOW YOUR TOOLS

​For bleeding control, the people who taught our course recommended having a tourniquet and hemostatic gauze.   Tourniquets are bands that can be tightened two-to-three inches above the wound. Keep tightening the tourniquet until the blood stops. Resist the urge to loosen it! These are best used on extremity (arms and legs) wounds.

2: CONSIDER MAKING A KIT

You know what it is like to be unprepared. I know that I never worried about jumper cabled for my car until my car battery needed a bit of a boost to get started. The best way to assure you will be prepared is to make a small kit that you can carry around in your bag or in your car. I would recommend, from what I learned in the training, to get a tourniquet, hemostatic gauze, and gloves for your small kit. Gloves are essential in avoiding blood-borne illnesses.

3: CALL FOR MEDICAL ASSISTANCE AS SOON AS POSSIBLE

Though you could save someone’s life with these tools, it is imperative that you get medical services coming on their way as soon as possible. If you are with another person, have them dial for emergency services while you begin helping the victim. If you are alone, start the call, put it on speaker phone, and get to work trying to help. The faster you can get to medical services, the better.

4: CONTROL BLEEDING UNTIL MEDICAL SERVICES CAN GET THERE

If you come across a situation where there is an injured person bleeding out, keep pressure on or control the bleeding until a medical provider can get to the patient. Some people may have the urge to release pressure on a wound to see if it stopped on its own. While it may very well stop before medical services can get there, you should continue to keep pressure on the wound until emergency services arrive.

5: THINGS TO REMEMBER

Bleeding control methods like the tourniquet, wound packing with hemostatic gauze, and pressure from the hands will hurt. The victim will likely scream or even ask you to stop. Pain does not indicate that you are doing anything wrong.  I have found no evidence in the United States that you can be charged with anything should your attempts fail or result in some other injury.

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STRETCHING YOUR BRAIN

The Echo Dot, or any Alexa-enabled Amazon product, can help you stretch your brain by offering a number of trivia-related games.  Jonathan and I love playing Jeopardy each weekday, and we recently learned that the Dot also offers Teen Jeopardy, which is great if you have young ones! My second favorite game is Song Quiz.

HANDSFREE MORNINGS

I used to spend a ton of money each morning on coffee because I would realize that I didn't have time to put on my coffee. I have a pretty standard, cheap coffee pot! I decided to purchase some Smart Plugs! I ended up getting two for about $19 bucks. I use one on my coffee machine.

GET NEWS FAST

I don't usually find myself getting up early enough to browse the news on TV or online. Since we've added Maisel into our household, I've been able to stand at my door while the dog goes to the potty and ask Alexa to read me the news. I get a flash briefing on important things happening in the world and in the US. You can also customize what outlet you receive your news briefing from! Pretty cool.

WEATHER FORECAST READER

I sometimes forget to check the weather on my phone and will find that it is colder, wetter, or hotter than I thought it was. Alexa is great at telling you the weather for your area.  Another great thing she can do is tell you the weather for a period of time in a different place. I travel a lot to see family, so this helps me when I'm packing!

SETTING TIMERS

Have you ever had your hands full with a laundry basket, but you need to set yourself a timer to go check your clothes? Alexa can help! This is especially great for me because my laundry area is in our car port, so I don't always hear it buzz!

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​DAY 1: MOVING BACKWARD IS NOT AN OPTION, AND STANDING STILL IS NOT ENOUGH

DAY 2: THE WORLD NEEDS TO EXPAND ITS RADIUS, BUT THAT IS MUCH EASIER SAID THAN DONE

DAY 3: PROCRASTINATION EXISTS BEYOND DUE DATES

DAY 4: LYING IS A COOPERATIVE ACT

DAY 5: DON'T LET PAST REJECTION DICTATE FUTURE ASPIRATIONS

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High Point University Campus | Photo by Harris Walker

Dr. Nido Qubien walked up to the front of the ballroom, dazzling us with his ability to blend in. His resume, however, did nothing but stand out. Qubien has that American Dream story of the immigrant who came to the U.S. with very little money and even less knowledge on the English language only to turn his life around and become not only an impressive business man, but a giving man. Since booming the president of High Point University, the campus has grown immensely, both with new students and new facilities.

A FOOL SAYS, "I'LL DO MORE WHEN THEY PAY ME TO DO MORE"

It seems like everyone is struggling in today's economy. And, lets be honest, so much of our world is controlled by the "almighty" dollar.  When we feel as though we are being slighted at work, the tendency is to say, "I'll do more once they pay me to do more." However, this notion shows your employers that you have the wrong motivation. Employers want someone on their team who is passionate about the job, not someone who walks in like a zombie, mashes some buttons, and clocks out. Passion is the key to getting you to that promotional point.

CONFIDENCE COMES FROM COMPETENCE 

I always used to wonder why I didn't feel very confident in myself, both personally and professionally. But, as soon as Qubien uttered these words, I knew exactly why that was. I think it is safe to say that many people don't want to learn if they don't have to. In college, for example, you have to learn in order to pass the tests and to receive that coveted degree. But even after college, it is important to continue to fuel yourself with knowledge.

SMALL STEPS MAKE BIG DIFFERENCES

In today's day and age, we are all about instant gratification. We all want some sort of validation that what we are doing will get us somewhere, even when life hasn't historically worked that way for many people. In reality, nothing happens over night. It takes a series of smaller steps to get to the point where you've made a big difference. It doesn't matter if your step is learning a new skill, going back to college, repairing a relationship, or taking better care of yourself physically. You won't see results right then and there, but after several smaller steps, you will see a big difference.

NEVER SAY "I'M NOT CHANGING THE WORLD"

Now more than ever, people are becoming more and more aware of the fact that they are like a tiny, microscopic dot in a gigantic universe. Just the Earth alone is far bigger than one person. This causes a point of cynicism. People no longer think that they can change the world.  The reality is, every person you see has a life that is equally as complex as yours.

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1. BE PREPARED TO CLEAN

​Pets are like children in that they will get into literally anything they can. Before you bring a new pet into your home, you need to clean up everything off the floor. Trust me, no matter how small, they will find it. For us, we had to clean up Rum Tum's smaller toys because Maisel can actually swallow them. You will be surprised what went unnoticed in your cleaning efforts!

2. DON'T SPEND MONEY ON THINGS YOU CAN DIY

There are literally so many things you can DIY for your dog or cat that will cost you a fortune to purchase at a store. Maisel has a Kong, which is a rubber dog toy that you can fill with treats and different things. Kong sells this filling that can cost $6 for only two uses. Instead, I decided to use things like green beans and cream of chicken soup to fill it. You can also DIY toys, clothing, treats, and much more!

3. YOUR PETS MAY NOT GET ALONG RIGHT AWAY

I was fully convinced that my cat's loving nature would mean that she wouldn't have much of a problem with our dog. According to the cat scratch scars on my arms, that proved to be wrong. In reality, my cat has been the ruler of the roost for more than two years. She was startled by a dog that is much bigger than her and much more energetic.​

4. SCHEDULE A CHECK-UP RIGHT AWAY

I adopted Maisel from a larger shelter in Charlotte, N.C. The shelter was having a "donate what you like" day because it was getting pretty full. When we were on the way home, I noticed that Maisel's nose was bleeding and she was sneezing. We called the shelter and they said she probably had kennel cough, which is like a cold for dogs that can progress into pneumonia.

5. PETS TAKE ENERGY

Cats can be pretty low-energy and low-maintenance, which is why we never struggled with this before. Maisel requires a ton of energy and extra time. We used to spend a lot of our afternoon on the couch or watching something in the room. She, however, tends to misbehave or get into things when we don't show her enough attention or stimulate her through exercise. Be sure you're ready to take walks and play fetch!

6. TRY TO STAY AWAY FROM CHICKEN PRODUCTS

At least with my animals, I try to steer clear of anything containing chicken. Many of these products contain fillers that can cause allergies in your pets. I know it is true for Maisel and my brother's dog, Luna.

7. GET TOYS THAT REPLACE THEIR BAD HABITS

For Rum Tum, a scratching post/tower was awesome. She scratches that and not our furniture. For Maisel, we get those crinkly toys because she likes paper and plastic sounds. We also got her the Kong, which keeps her from tearing up a lot of things in her cage during the day.

CONCLUSION

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GET YOUR BLOOD TESTED

​Whenever I was having trouble with my health, I had to get some blood work done. During this time, I found out that I had anemia, which is low iron. ​Having lower iron levels means that you are tired more often than not.

DRINK MORE WATER

​Most of the reason for my fatigue can also be pointed to dehydration. When your body isn’t properly hydrated, you can start to feel tired. I was just drinking a ton of diet soda, justifying that it was OK because it didn’t have any calories. But, the reality is, regular and diet sodas alike are packed with sodium, which is known to cause dehydration.

HAVE A CUP OF COFFEE

​I’ve found that having a cup of coffee when I get home from work has helped somewhat in increasing my energy levels. ​This is particularly great for household chores, as it takes more energy to do those than it does to sit and type out the blog post for the day.

HAVE A SNACK

​Snacks can be a good source of energy when you’re running low, but you have to make the right choice about what snack you will have. As someone who did the low-carb diet for a long time, I would often reach for a string cheese, but these were very low in carbs, the element that actually gives you the energy.   Odds are, if you’re not eating enough carbs, you’re not going to have the energy to do what needs to be done around the house!

CHANGE YOUR CLOTHES

​I work in a business setting, so I wear business clothes. I’m in a dress, skirt, or slacks every day. ​This gets really uncomfortable and I often change into what I will wear for bed right when I get home in an effort to get more comfortable. This isn’t a good idea, as it further tells my body that I am in rest mode and don’t need to do anything else. ​

​DITCH THE HEAT

MOVE MORE DURING THE DAY

I personally have a desk job. I sit at a computer all day and do my work. On some occasions, I have the opportunity to be more active, but my average day involves me sitting down for 8-ish hours. Be sure to take a few breaks (as legally given to you) throughout the day and get up to stretch or just pace around in your office.

AVOID SUGARY FOODS IN VENDING MACHINES

It is really tempting to take out your change and head to your office's vending machine when you're starting to feel sluggish just before you clock out. However, this can be a bad idea, as many vending machines are loaded with sugary-carby foods that may give you a small energy boost, but won't do much for you permanently. Instead, opt for something like jerky, seeds, or berries!

CONCLUSION

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DON'T THROW OUT THAT COFFEE

If you're anything like me, you probably make too much coffee in the morning. I always forget that my husband doesn't wake up early enough to have coffee, but some days he actually does. Leaving excess coffee sitting out all day can cause bacteria to enter into your coffee pot and into the coffee itself. I sure won't be drinking old coffee that's been sitting out all day.

SIGN UP FOR SAVINGS PROGRAMS WITH YOUR BANK

I currently bank with Wells Fargo. The company has a program where a few dollars are moved from your checking account to your savings account each time you make a purchase. While it is only a few dollars here and there, it does add up. This can help you save for the future or can even help you save money for that vacation you've been meaning to go on! See what your bank has to offer in the way of savings programs.

PICK UP YOUR GROCERIES

Walmart is where I shop for most of my groceries. However, I find myself making unhealthy (dietary and financial) decisions when I go in the store. I always make a list of what we need, but I often take a detour to look at clothes or to purchase an unhealthy snack that I know I shouldn't be eating. To help me with this, I now use the grocery pickup service to stop me from impulse buys.

FOLLOW MY WATER RULE

This is a fairly new rule, but I'm sticking to it for my health and to save money! I personally track my food and water using the FitBit app. On it, there is a recommendation for the amount of water I need to drink a day. For me, it is 64 fluid ounces. I have decided that I won't drink a diet soda or any other beverage aside from coffee until I meet my goal.

DONATE TO A THRIFT STORE

Not only is donating good for your soul, it is also good for your wallet. Most donation centers will give you a tax deduction form that you can fill out and use at the end of the year on your taxes. So, take some time to purge your closet and home of the things you don't need so that they can be sold at a reduced rate to those who need it most!​

HAVE A FREE DATE NIGHT

As someone who is married and on a budget, date nights can be expensive. For the hubby and I, we normally go out to eat and see a movie. This adds up quickly. However, I have gotten into the habit of checking our town's calendar to see what free events are happening in the area. Sometimes they are good and other times they are a bust. But, that's the fun in trying new things with your partner! Do something FREE!

CONCLUSION

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