Vaccinated for Vacation?

Going on vacation across the world can be very rewarding, but there are a few steps of preparation you have to take to protect yourself from coming home with a harmful disease or illness.

First, you should make sure you are up-to-date on all of your general vaccinations and any medical conditions you have are controlled (such as asthma).

General travel vaccinations include Hepatitis A, Typhoid, Rabies, Japanese Encephalitis, and Yellow Fever. Whether you need all of these vaccinations or just a few depends on which countries you are visiting, what activities you will be participating in (indoor or outdoor) and the time of year (is it mosquito season).

To see which vaccines you need before your vacation or trip, check with your doctor and go online to the CDC website. Taking these precautions will help you have a great time on your trip and prevent you from obtaining any unnecessary diseases. Bon voyage!

Ways to Boost Creativity

Feeling tired of doing the same thing every single day? Stuck in a creativity drought? Here are a few scientifically proven ways to boost your creative juices and get out of your rut:

  1. Exercise before work.
  2. Mix up your routine.
  3. Travel abroad.
  4. Go see a movie.
  5. Take a walk outside.
  6. Paint a picture.
  7. Start an idea notebook.
  8. Listen to classical music.
  9. Do something that scares you.
  10. Stop watching TV.

Letting yourself try new things without fear of failure, mixing things up and getting out of your routine will help you become more creative. The key is that no idea or thought is out of the question. Creativity makes room for unexpected ideas and thoughts. Let go of the thought that you are not creative, because everyone has creative potential – it’s just a matter of tapping into it!

Interested in Pinterest?

Mason jars full of salad. Cupcakes that look like the Muppets. Arts and crafts galore. But how can you use Pinterest to make your life easier or more fun? If you haven’t tried this addicting site yet but want to, the layout can be a little overwhelming. Follow these simple tips to get the most out of it:

  1. Organize your pins into different boards. If you are looking to use Pinterest for recipes, make a food board. Planning a wedding? Make a wedding board. This will make things easier to find when you go back looking for that one thing you saved 3 months ago.
  2. Use the search feature. Starting a new project? You can pretty much search DIY anything on Pinterest. Learn how to build your own porch swing or paint a piece of furniture. The great thing about Pinterest is it will show you pictures and instructions for almost any project you can think of.
  3. Don’t pin everything you see. As with anything else in life, it pays to be selective. When you are looking through thousands of old pins trying to figure out what to make for dinner, it can be tedious. Only pin things you think you will use and delete ones you no longer want.

Happy pinning!

Cooking Healthier Meals

Eating healthy doesn’t have to be hard. There are plenty of tricks to making tasty, easy, and healthy meals for you and your family or friends. The first step is to cut out certain ingredients and substitute healthier options into your recipes.

Here are some simple substitutions I found from Go Red for Women that you can use to create healthier meals:

·         Whole wheat flour can replace white flour to add more fiber into your recipes. Fiber keeps you full longer and supports a healthy digestive system.

·         Unsweetened applesauce and canola oil can take the place of butter! This combination reduces the amount of saturated fat in your food.

·         Instead of using sour cream, you can use Greek yogurt and lemon to add protein and probiotics.

·         Avocado can be substituted for mayonnaise or cheese. While still high in fat, it contains healthy fat to keep your heart healthy.

·         Using ground turkey instead of red meats can help reduce your risk of heart diseases.

When it comes to cooking healthy, it’s all about balance and nutrients. Cut out as much sugar and saturated fat as you can – but don’t be afraid to enjoy your favorites every now and then.