Month: December 2024

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You may pay a dollar or two to your kids when they lose their teeth…or rather, the Tooth Fairy pays them. When you collect those teeth in the middle of the night, don’t throw them away.

Let’s talk about cryopreservation of stem cells. It’s not science fiction like you might think. Scientists claim that baby teeth have the stem cells necessary to help regenerate various parts of the body (well, one day). Parents are taking this knowledge and saving their kids’ teeth for a just-in-case situation. The practice is known as tooth banking.

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Quick Lesson on Stem Cells

Stem cells are the cells that our organs and tissues grow from. They are unique because they can regenerate, divide, and repair.

According to the Mayo Clinic, there are two types of stem cells:

Embryos: These form during embryologic development in the blastocyst phase.

Adult tissue: Also known as adult stem cells.

The stem cells that are found in baby teeth are commonly referred to as SHED cells. They have slightly different properties. Dr. Pamela Robey, the chief of the branch of the craniofacial and skeletal disease of the National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research told CNN, “The SHED cells seem to make not only dentin but also something that is similar to bone.”

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Insurance for Your Kids

By keeping baby teeth, which are a source of stem cells, it can be seen as biological insurance. It could help to provide bone marrow or something else, potentially, in the event that your kid ever gets sick.

Scientists are still torn on whether the science will make it so that they can obtain what they need from the teeth as of yet.

Saving the teeth isn’t as simple as just placing them in your jewelry box, though. They’ll need to be placed into cryopreservation. Such stem cell banks include ToothBank and Store-A-Tooth.

Right now, the science isn’t quite there, but it could be at any point. If you’re concerned that your child may one day need the stem cells found in their teeth, it may be something to explore.

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Do you smell something “fishy” inside your home? If you’re not cooking fish for dinner, you should probably be a bit concerned. One mother talked about the fishy smell that was in her home, and what she discovered may be the best news that you need to hear about.

So, the mom kept smelling something fishy in her kid’s room. She searched everywhere and finally discovered where it was coming from. It was an electrical outlet that was melting on the inside.

Image by Adriano Gadini from Pixabay

Apparently, Damaged Electrical Outlets Smell Like Fish

Who knew, right? If you start to smell fish inside your home and there’s no fishy cause for it, you’ll want to call your electrician.

Wires can melt behind the electrical outlet. The fishy smell is caused by the overheating of the electrical outlet. Often, when the electrician looks, they’ll find a faulty wire.

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Practice Safety

There are always ways to be safe around the home. If you smell rotten eggs, it’s probably a gas leak. Now, add to your memory bank that if you smell something fishy, it’s a faulty outlet.

Here are a few tips to prevent the outlet from being fried:

• Don’t plug too many appliances into one outlet
• Check outlets and plugs on a regular basis
• Always remove plugs gently

Of course, if you see a damaged cord, you shouldn’t use the appliance anymore.

If there is a problem with an outlet, call the electrician – don’t wait until it gets fishy.

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Pool noodles are always fun in the pool. It’s a chance for the kids to play, have fake sword fights and more. Everyone can cool down on a hot summer day. You may even be floating in the middle of the pool on a giant flamingo or unicorn.

What you don’t want is for anyone to start screaming because of what comes from inside one of those pool noodles.

Firefighters will warn that snakes can hide inside pool noodles. It’s terrifying, really.

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The Tale of an Arizona Family

One family in Arizona went for a swim in their pool. Kids grabbed for pool noodles, and they quickly realized something was alive in the middle of one. It was a baby rattlesnake.

The kids were sent indoors, and the parents called the fire department.

The firefighters were not surprised. They get these kinds of calls all the time. It turns out the little snakes (nope ropes as I like to call them) love to use pool noodles for hiding places.

Image by Silviu on the street from Pixabay

Check Your Pool Noodles

If you don’t want to play hide & seek with snakes when it’s time to go into the pool, there are some things you’ll want to do.

Some snakes will lay eggs inside pool noodles. You need to be sure that you’re storing your pool noodles safely. If you leave them against the home, near bushes, or around fences, you’re inviting creatures to enter the tubes.

What are the chances of you finding a snake in your pool noodle? It depends on where you live. If you do find one, stay calm. Call the fire department if necessary.

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Trader Joe’s is one of my favorite places to shop. I love the frozen pastas, the seasonal goodies, and the occasional wine sampling.

After listening to a few food editors, I found out about a few things that are NOT worth buying. Apparently, a few things have led to quite a bit of disappointment. Since I don’t like being disappointed and certainly don’t like wasting money, I now avoid these items.

If you love TJs like I do, be sure you avoid these items on your next shopping trip…

Most Bread

The bread isn’t that good. Plus, many of the loaves are likely to go moldy within a day or two.

Most Produce

The first thing you approach at a Trader Joe’s is the produce. While it looks great, many items go bad within days. Some can even go bad within hours of getting it home. If you really must buy produce at TJs, go for some of the sturdier items like potatoes or onions.

Packaged Sushi, Sandwiches, Wraps, & Salads

If you’re buying these because you think they’re fresh, think again. None of them are made on-site. Plus, they are likely going to be bland, stale, or both.

Ice Cream

All ice cream is the same, right? Wrong. Quite a bit of ice cream in the frozen food section sounds delicious, like their mini cones. However, it comes off as bland and boring. You’d be better off going to your local supermarket where they have an entire aisle dedicated to impressive flavors.

Image by Henrik Larsen from Pixabay

Frozen Meatballs

While you might be looking to make a quick pasta dish, steer clear of the frozen meatballs – turkey or beef. They are much softer than the average meatball, and the taste is far from Italian.

Trader Joe’s Beer

Your local TJs sells beer from local breweries and around the globe. You can find some great deals. However, their house-label beers are generally pretty gross. Stay clear of their beers and focus on the more established brands.

Shelf-Stable Salad Dressings

Where you buy your salad dressing matters, at least at Trader Joe’s. The ones in the dry grocery aisles are usually overly sweet and overpriced for what they are. If you really want salad dressing, buy it in the refrigerated section or grab the ingredients and make some at home on your own.

Now that you know what to stay away from, focus on all of the other goodness when you get to Trader Joe’s!

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There’s something exciting and magical about walking into a Whole Foods. It feels so, well, wholesome when you get inside. The organic store has a ton of high-quality foods and products, but not everything is worth the price. In fact, they’ve earned the nickname “The Whole Paycheck” because you can spend a fortune if you’re not careful.

Many customers have shared what isn’t worth the money.

Before you head into Whole Foods next, check out these 8 things to avoid putting into your cart:

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The Hot Bar: The premade soups, salads, and entrees are certainly convenient, but it can be quite pricy when you look at what it will cost per pound. In fact, by the time you fill up your box and get to the checkout, it could have been cheaper to go out to a restaurant.

Rotisserie Chicken: You’d save so much time just buying a classic rotisserie chicken at Whole Foods. It’s already cooked, and you can buy an organic one. “Meh,” is how most customers rate it, though. Most say that the Costco one, which is a cult favorite, is not only better but also cheaper.

Pre-Cut Produce: The easiest way to get your fruits in for the day is to grab a container of pre-cut fruits, whether it’s watermelon, mango, or sliced strawberries. Those containers cost a fortune compared to what it would cost to buy the whole fruits and cut them yourself.

Croissants: Okay, hear me out. The Whole Foods Bakery is amazing with its cakes and cookies. However, their croissants are just not that good. They are also really expensive, so it’s best to skip these when you’re at the store. Perhaps grab a Berry Chantilly Cake for dessert instead.

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Basic Produce: You should go to Whole Foods for the organic and the hard-to-find produce, not the conventional stuff like avocados and spinach. You’ll pay a lot more than buying them at your regular grocery store.

Fresh Fish: While the fish is always “responsibly farmed,” many will question just how fresh it is. It’s also quite expensive, so if it looks old, save yourself some money and skip that department entirely.

Bulk Nuts: It’s tempting to grab a bag and start dispensing nuts into your bag. Pistachios, macadamia nuts, and more can add up quickly by the time that bag makes it to the scale. You could be paying $10 – $20 per pound, which is higher than what you’d pay at Walmart or Aldi.

365 Milk: It’s easy to reach for the 365 milk. It’s cheaper than the other top-of-the-line dairy brands since it’s the Whole Foods brand. Even though it’s cheaper, it’s not always better. In fact, it tends to spoil quickly. Many customers also complain of an “odd taste” or that it has a “strong plastic” flavor.

You’ll find plenty of treasures to spend your money on at Whole Foods. If you skip these eight items, we promise you’ll be happier with what you pay at the register, too.

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If you’ve ever had an ingrown toenail, you know how painful it can be. If it’s painful to walk and you’ve got redness and swelling on the edge of the toenail, it’s probably because of an ingrown nail. It’s important to do something about it right away. Otherwise, it could become infected or even abscessed. If you start to see yellow discharge or you run a fever, it’s best to make an appointment with your doctor.

The good news is that the moment you notice an ingrown toenail, you can treat it naturally and at home, which is always a good idea.

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Treatment Options

1. Soak and clean the foot with the infection in warm water for about 20 minutes, three times a day. The warm water can help to reduce the swelling. Then, use a cotton swab (or even dental floss) to help pull the ingrown nail gently away from the toe’s skin.
2. If you’ve had the ingrown nail for a while, a warm water soak may not be enough. Add Epsom salt to the bath and follow the same instructions as above.
3. Use a bit of vapor rub on your toe. The balm can speed up the healing and relieve the pain.
4. Use apple cider vinegar to boost the healing. Let a cotton ball soak up the vinegar and then hold it onto the toe for a few minutes. Repeat daily until the pain is gone.
5. Use a bit of antibiotic cream on the red and swollen area, then wrap in a bandage to keep the area clean.

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Prevent Ingrown Toenails to Begin With

Also, know that ingrown toenails don’t “just happen.” They’re usually caused by something such as diabetes, sweaty feet, shoes that don’t fit properly, a bacterial infection, or cutting your nails too short.

Knowing that you can avoid ingrown toenails is half the battle. Knowing how to take care of them when they happen is the other half. Take care of your feet so you can avoid the pain!

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If you’ve got hot food that isn’t going to be eaten right away, you will want to get it into the fridge. The question is, do you have to cool it down first? Or, can it go in piping hot?

Food safety is critical, so let’s discuss the correct method.

Food Safety 101

Food safety should always be practiced. Otherwise, you risk various foodborne illnesses like E. Coli, listeria, or salmonella. 40 F to 140 F is considered the “danger zone” where you’re most likely going to experience problems. So, you should cool food as quickly as possible to get the food out of the danger zone.

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Cooling is Critical

Your fridge may not be able to cool everything down quickly enough – and you don’t want to get anything else around the leftovers warmer than it should be.

Now, here’s why cooling is so important:

• It prevents bacterial growth
• It preserves food quality
• It protects the other food you have in the fridge (or freezer)

Once the food is out of the danger zone, you can place it in the fridge. If the food has been in the danger zone for more than a few hours, it might be best to toss it.

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A Few Best Practices

Make it easy on yourself and follow a few best practices:

1. Cover your food with a lid or foil with a gap so that steam can escape.
2. Transfer food to a shallow pan or container so that heat can dissipate faster.
3. Use a food thermometer to monitor the temperature. You want to get the temperature out of the danger zone (so below 40 F) within two hours.
4. Use an ice bath to speed up the cooling process.

The next time you have a hot dish, cool it down, wrap it up, and get it in the fridge. It’s the safest way for you to deal with any of your leftovers.