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Music has a huge impact on a child’s mind and body development. Parents should encourage their kids to listen and learn music.
Good and rhythmic music naturally captures a child’s attention irrespective of their age. Similar to teenagers and young adults both infants and toddlers gain a lot from music.
Mothers are usually a child’s first musical mentor and their singing enhances the bond between mother and infant.
Research reveals strong connections between rhythm skills and pre-reading abilities in toddlers. Music enhances fine motor skills, or the ability to use small, acute muscle movements to write, use a computer, and perform other physical activities.
Infants and music:
Toddlers and music:
What parents need to know?
Maternal singing is mesmerizing to infants and tends to catch their attention better than spoken language. It also eases the burdens of care giving by producing a more content baby and a more relaxed mother.
Structured music may not appeal to some children if it’s not customized to their interests or tastes. Thus, they lose interest. Some children receive more exposure to music and may simply be more musical due to that fact. However, interest in the kind of music can affect desire.
Infants live in a highly musical environment. With technologies, everywhere, now a days Infants are surrounded by music, even in the musical or sing-song way parents speak to infants. Studies show that infants prefer sing-song kind of speech and are more attentive when parents communicate in this way. Parents and grandparents often sing lullabies and play songs. In a good way, these melodies are more emotional, higher-pitched, have a slower tempo and are more intimate. Infants prefer maternal singing to maternal speech and find it more calming.
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Image credit: Photo by Alireza Attari on Unsplash (Free for commercial use)
Traditional Indian pickles are spicy, tasty and strong. There are many varieties of pickles one can prepare (see here). Main ingredients such as different varieties of mangoes, lemon, lime, vegetables, herbs and roots – ginger, turmeric, hemidesmus give unique taste to pickles. Remaining ingredients are almost same in most Indian spicy pickles. Turmeric, fenugreek, asafetida, chilli powder, mustard and salt are the common ingredients. For variation people add green chillis, mustard powder, fennel seeds. Oil is another key ingredient of pickles.
Reason we eat pickle is to enhance taste buds especially when we are sick, to enhance food taste, to add extra spice and it aids digestion.
What are the role of ingredients?
Now a day many varieties of ready made pickles or aachar is available in supermarket. Not all brands are good – either the smell is odd, or taste would be stale. Reason for this is, quality of the oil. Oil preserves the pickle for longtime. However, if quality of oil is not good it gives an odd odor to pickle. Other reasons for pickles to go bad or does not taste good is because of quality of materials that goes in – mustard powder, old chillis or chilli powder, improper processing, quick mixing and fixing pickle are few reasons for pickles to go bad. Preparing pickles at home is easy and does not require much effort.
If pickles are made at home there are several precautions one should take -,
Traditionally, pickles are made in air tight containers or jars. Mango, lemon pickles prepared by salting them for at least 15 days and stored in dark places to avoid fungal and bacterial growth. Before putting in salt handpicked mango or lemons are washed thoroughly in water and air dried for several hours to ensure there is no water content. Water retention spoils the pickle as water gives a way for microbial growth. Every alternate day salted content is mixed using dry ladle.
When adding salt or rock salt, make sure it is not impure and there is no water content in it.
The longevity of the pickles depends on all the above factors. Pickle preparation is easy but proper precautions should be taken to avoid its spoilage. Once you follow those precautions, you will enjoy taste of homemade pickle for a longer time !
To get out from daily routine life, we all need a vacation once a while. Question is where to go and how to afford the expenses while enjoying visit and stay in good places. Some places on the earth are so expensive that we must start saving for the trip from a long time. Even if we save, it might not be enough to have a comfortable visit. If the vacation causes stress what is the use of going on vacation? A comfortable visit is a must for a healthy stay. For a healthy visit and stay we should be able to afford travel expenses. How to reduce travel expenses ?
Tuesday is important day:
Tuesday is a good day to travel in terms of catching a flight. Cheapest flight of many airlines is available during Tuesday as the rush is bit less. As the demand increases, so also the price of the ticket. Sometimes, off peak travel is better. Also, many times Wednesday deals will be good. One can enjoy good seat, good view and relax during travel
Stay in bed & breakfast, rental houses:
When you are planning trip, look for bed and breakfast places. While hotels are great place to stay, short term rental houses, hostels as well as bed & breakfast places work out cheap. It is good option as it is affordable for most middle class families. There are home sharing apps in many towns and cities. Advantage of using such facilities is, staying in a homely place and if time permits one can cook and enjoy the perks like cable, car and neighborhood. This is a great way to enjoy small towns and cities without spending much. Some organizations that you volunteer for might provide accommodation arrangements in different places.
Take advantage of overbooked flights:
This is a common issue with many airlines “overbooking”. If you have time and willing to get into next available flight negotiate with airlines. Airlines need volunteers in such situations and are willing to provide good amount for your seat. Many airlines give you voucher /money to give up your seat. The amount you might get sometime will cover your meal and stay expenses our your entire trip!
Carry snacks:
When you leave home, carry snacks with you. Use a Ziploc bag and separate breakfast bars, nuts, biscuits, crackers and other fried items like chips into different bags. This will help you to save some money in your travel on snacking. Airport food tend to be expensive and so also other theme parks. Carry green tea bags, herbal teas, regular tea bags with you.
City guide and tourism cards:
City attraction guides and tourism cards will offer discounts at restaurants and local shops. You may find bus services to different places. Some places offer free entry to top visitor attraction. Find about these options in visitors guide. Use group tours and sometimes these tours will be cheaper with hotel you stay.
Lunch:
Get buffet or big lunch specials with less prices. Many restaurants offer left over carry box system. Carry the good food and save it for dinner. Eat good dinner at nice place on last day of your trip.
Carry medicines:
Always carry common cough, cold, fever, diarrhea and pain medicines – tablets in your bag. In new place you may not able to find doctor or it can be expensive. For small health conditions medicines that you carry will be helpful for immediate relief.
Before your trop create a budget on your spending. Stick to the budget. It will help to keep your trip on track, saves money and you will enjoy trip.
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This year many parts of the World are hit by hurricane, heavy rain and flooding. Just this month Hurricane Florence began affecting Southeastern US. Thousands of people are without electricity and water. Without power people look for alternate power sources such as gasoline generators, propane or charcoal grills. These sources are good but, If used improperly can lead to Carbon monoxide CO build up inside house, garage, buildings and can poison people, pet and other animals.
Carbon monoxide (CO), an odorless, colorless gas, which can cause sudden illness and death, is produced any time a fossil fuel is burned. Exposure to CO results in severe health symptoms. Mitigating and identifying CO source is critical in preventing CO poison.
Sources of Carbon monoxide
Gas water heaters, kerosene stove, charcoal grill, propane stove and heaters, petrol and diesel-powered generators, cigarette, forklifts with propane tank, boats, pain removers, solvents etc.
Symptoms of Carbon monoxide poisoning
Who are at high risk
Diagnosis:
Precautions:
You Can Prevent Carbon Monoxide Exposure (https://www.cdc.gov/co)
For more information on carbon monoxide poisoning please visit
Irrespective of having a small or bigger kitchen, often we feel that we need more space for shortage. Keeping things neat and organized is not everyone’s skill.
To store groceries, we need place in pantries, to store vessels and lids need place in cupboards.
Similarly storing snacks, canned items, cups and saucer and utensils properly we need more space.
Now a day’s different types of kitchen organizers are available in market and online.
Sink organizers: To keep washed dishes and to store dish sponge, brush use sink organizers.
Vessel cabinet organizer: To keep lids and vessels neat racks are available. This gives easy access to both lids and vessels when we need it.
Cabinet side and counter top holders: To keep coffee, tea, sugar and salt make use of space on side of the cabinet. Similarly put basket line above counter top side wall. You can store oil, small spice bottles and any small decorative plant too!
Create more space using these ideas: Keep cutting board, trays in rectangular racks. You can place it on one corner of counter top or inside cabinet. Ziploc, cans and cereal boxes can be stored in iron racks that can be hooked to shelves or can be placed inside lower shelves. Keep spatula, serving spoons, ladles in wide mouth thick glass bottle or ladle containers. This saves lot of space for you.
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Image courtesy: Image by StockSnap from Pixabay
Bright orange and yellow flowers of marigold has several medicinal benefits. Small florets and petals of this plant has medicinal value. In many countries marigold is grown for commercial purpose because of its medicinal benefits. Calendula officinalis or Pot marigold is most popular species that has several benefits.
Marigold flowers also exhibit strong odor and cause nausea. Using them in lower concentration or in the dried form is better. If you are consider using them, look for products that have calendula or marigold and use as per the directions on the products. If you are breastfeeding or taking any allopathic medicines contact your physician before applying the product.
Image credit: https://www.needpix.com/photo/1767902/flowers-marigold-the-petals-overlap-marigold-flower-garden-nature-yellow-summer-flowers-leaves
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