Smoking Is Not Just An Addiction

The new nicotine patch?

Here is a great tip. Stop smoking! Easier said than done? Why is smoking such a difficult thing to stop? Cigarettes are very addictive and a deeply ingrained habit. People, habitual by nature, may be the reason quitting is so difficult. With the nicotine gums, lozenges and patches to overcome the cravings, the habit itself needs to be addressed.

If we were not habitual, simple tasks like going to the store, become problematic. Can you imagine looking up directions to the store every time you needed groceries, or too find your way to work? So the question becomes; are memory and habits using the same part of the brain? According to ehow the frontal lobe, is the part of the cerebral cortex under the forehead, functions to control memories involving habits and motor activity. The temporal lobes, located just above the ears, are used to control memory acquisition.

So, it makes sense why habits are so hard to break. Have you ever tried to forget something? We all have forgotten things; but have you ever made a conscious effort to forget something? That is why habits are so hard to break. Habits are a type of memory.

The more a habit is repeated, the stronger the neural connection becomes, and the deeper a pattern is engraved. If you think about how many times a day you smoke a cigarette, then multiply that times the number of years you have smoked, you can see how ingrained the smoking habit has become!

Break the habit!

The website, self improvement mentor.com states, “Experts claimed that complete abstinence of a habit for 21 to 30 days will be enough to break it. So, you don’t have to worry about having to continuously struggle to not indulge in a habit for the rest of your life. After 21 to 30 days, you would have surpassed the required threshold. What you need to do is challenge yourself to keep away from that habit for 30 days.” Take up the 30 day challenge; and see it through. If you stumble or fail along the way, start the habit breaking challenge from the beginning.

If At First You Don’t Succeed, Try Try Again

 

An old saying but there is a lot of truth to it. The process of repetition is just repeating the same old habits. The process of repetition with change is a formula for success. Look at quitting smoking as a two part challenge; one, the addiction itself and two, the ingrained habit to light up.

Search for tips on quitting smoking with Google then search for tips on breaking bad habits. Use the information you find and maybe, just maybe, you can kick the smoking habit. We wish you the best of luck!

How to Guard Against Distracted Drivers

Have you noticed the improvement in drivers using Bluetooth devices on their cell phones? Or, have you noticed driving habits to be the same or worse than ever? Has the use of Bluetooth devices given drivers a false sense of security causing them to pay less attention than ever? Facts and figures for 2010 are not yet available; so determining what distractions caused accidents is difficult. The facts do show distraction caused accidents are on the rise. The proportion of fatalities reportedly associated with driver distraction increased from 10 percent in 2005 to 16 percent in 2009. During that time, fatal crashes with reported driver distraction also increased from 10 percent to 16 percent

Even though the stats show a drop in hand held device usage, observations of distracted driving today seem the same or worse. Case in point; sitting at a four way stop, waiting our turn to go, a speeding truck blows through the stop sign. Cars not staying in their own lanes, driving through red lights and cutting people off, have shown (in our opinion) no driver improvements. As a result we use defensive driving, our own dos and don’ts and situational awareness, in our arsenal for roadway survival.

Here are a few tips and tricks we use that may keep you from being involved in an accident.

At stop signs – Don’t assume that all the cars will stop at a stop sign. A distracted driver is more likely to not see a stop sign. People struggle with a four way stop sign. The rule is to yield to the car on the right but confusion seems to dominate. A distracted driver can make a four way stop into a disaster.

When a stop light turns green – wait at least 2 to 3 seconds before entering the intersection. Also, look both ways to see that everyone approaching the red light is slowing to a stop.

Don’t assume a person in a vehicle can see you – Even if they are looking right at you, they may not know you are there. Tests have shown people distracted don’t always see what is right in front of them.

When two lanes are going left or right, at a traffic signal, don’t assume the car next to you is going to stay in their lane. More times than not at some point during the turn they will drift into, or wind up going into, your lane. Distracted drivers may not realize that both lanes are turning; and at a minimum will cut you off.

Don’t assume a person in a vehicle can see you – Even if they are looking right at you, they may not know you are there. Tests have shown people distracted don’t always see what is right in front of them.

Do be on guard at all times – When you are next to another car they might not know you are there. With the craze in SUV’s, smaller cars hide in the blind spots.

Do make sure your vehicle is safe – Read these tips on vehicle checks and general safety travel information

Here are a few more tips we use to combat the distracted driver. Is the driver talking on the phone? Is the driver talking to the passengers? Are the driver’s arms waving about or do they look distracted? If so, give them extra room; and keep an eye on them. If the situation does not look or feel right, get out of the situation safely. Taking two minutes longer to get to your destination has to be better than not getting there at all. The bottom line is; the more you drive defensively; and are paying attention, the less chance you have of being in an accident. Watch out for the other guy!

What to do About the Moody Blues

Have you been feeling down? Are you tired of gray skies, snow, ice, and cold weather? Perhaps, you’re stuck in post-holiday doldrums; or maybe you’ve got a bad case of February funk. It could be premature spring fever. It really doesn’t matter what you call it. Many of us feel down at this time of year. Here are some hints and tips to help you beat the winter blues.

The holidays are long gone; and if you are like the rest of us you probably gobbled up goodies during the festivities. If your pants don’t fit quite as well as they used to, it can make you cringe every time you look in the mirror. Don’t say to yourself “What’s the use?”; and grab the nearest carton of ice cream. Instead, put on your favorite music that makes you want to move; and dance, dance, dance. Exercise boosts your metabolism; and gives you an overall good feeling.

If you’ve been stuck with snow and ice for days or weeks, you’re probably sick of the sight of it by now. Sorry to say, there is really nothing you can do about the weather except maybe get on a plane and fly somewhere warm. If that’s an impossibility create your own tropical paradise. Invite some friends over and throw a luau. Meet guests at the door; and drape a lei around their neck. Serve mai tais while wearing your bathing suit. Hey, maybe it’s a little zany; but it could be a brief escape from whatever is going on outside.

Another means of escape is the internet. Oh, the sights you can see! Whatever your interests are you are sure to find all sorts of information to keep your mind busy for hours. Spend some time catching up on the news with faraway friends and family via email or instant messaging. You won’t have time for feeling depressed.


Do something you’ve always wanted to do. Maybe, you always wanted to take a yoga class; or perhaps you want to learn how to cook. Now’s the time! Buy yourself some great cooking tools and get cooking.

It’s okay to treat yourself in order to feel better. Don’t do it with a bag of chips or cookies. How about a great book you’ve been wanting to read; or a new pair of earrings you can wear out on the town the first chance you get? We know there is something that pushes your “feel good” button.

The real bottom line here is to do something for yourself.  Don’t let yourself sink into the winter blues; and stay there.  Use these helpful hints to find something to shake you out of your mood.  Keep repeating to yourself, “spring is only a few weeks away!”

Jeepers Peepers! Look at those Eyes!

We all know our eyesight is of utmost importance. What would you do if could no longer see? The question really makes you think, doesn’t it? As we go through life there can be changes that occur to our eyes that cause us not to see as clearly as we did before. Some causes can be aging, hormonal changes, and pregnancy. So, what can we do? Here are some helpful do’s and don’ts.

Don’t Smoke! Harmful chemicals from smoking cause inflammation which damages the small vessels of the eyes. Smokers are more likely to get cataracts and macular degeneration. Macular degeneration is a disease that affects central vision which is the sight used in reading; and that lets us recognize faces. We don’t know about you; but recognizing our family or our own faces in a mirror is pretty darn important to us.

Wear Shades! We hear all the time about wearing sunscreen to protect our skin. Sunglasses help protect our eyes in much the same way by blocking the sun’s UV rays. Like smoking, exposure to the sun can cause cataracts and macular degeneration over time. Lens color and cost don’t determine sunglasses effectiveness. Get a pair that blocks 100 percent of UVA and UVB radiation. Don’t forget to wear them!

Back away from the Computer! Most of us know that staring at a computer for hours can cause eyestrain; but did you know that in the past three decades nearsightedness (myopia) has increased 66 percent. Some experts say one reason could be the increase in computer usage. The experts don’t really know what causes nearsightedness; however, some believe it could be the result of too much close-up work like reading, looking at a computer screen, or texting on your cell phone. For most of us looking at a computer screen or a cell phone is a big part of our lives. So what do we do? Adjust your computer monitor to eye level. If it’s too high you have to open your eyes wider to look up causing more drying effects. Position the screen away from a window to avoid glare. Use desk lamps instead of bright overhead lights. Take a break once every hour; and look away for a few minutes.

Eat Right and Exercise! If we eat a well balanced diet and get plenty of exercise we will reap all kinds of benefits. This goes for our eyes, too. Eating one to two servings a week of nuts rich in omega-3 fatty acids lowers the risk of age-related macular degeneration which is a leading cause of blindness. Regular exercise also helps to decrease this risk along with helping to prevent diabetes which can affect eyesight. Get moving three or more times a week.

See your Eye Doctor! Get eye checkups on a regular basis beginning at age 40 if you’ve never had eye problems. Start sooner if you have a history of diabetes or high blood pressure; or if you have a family history of glaucoma or age-related macular degeneration. Treatments for eye conditions range from contact lenses to eye drops to surgery. Ask your regular physician for a recommendation if you have a problem; and choose your eye-care professional wisely. Ask your eye doctor when and how often you should get checkups.

We hope you have found these hints and tips informative; and hope you will take care of your eyes. After all, they are the only pair you have!

What Is That Smell?

Our hints and tips this week deals with one of the least talked about problems in the home, bathroom odors. No, not those odors. We are talking about that sour smelling odor. We go sniffing around looking for the culprit only to discover it is those darn washcloths again. We did research; and found many different reasons for that sour smell including improper washing, overloading the washing machine, washing diapers with washcloths, and many others that allow bacteria to grow. Rather than focus on the cause, we wanted to find the dos and don’ts to eliminate the problem.


Don’t wash diapers with your towels and washcloths. The bacteria in diapers including E. coli are tough to kill; and require special washing. Don’t overload the washing machine; or use too low of a water setting. Both of these conditions tend not to clean your laundry properly. Don’t leave washcloths in a heap after bathing. A wet washcloth, especially left in a heap, creates the perfect breeding ground for bacteria.




A folded washcloth is a
breeding ground for bacteria!

  So, say you have done all of this and still have a problem? Of course you do; and so did we until we found out the reason why. Not only did we find the reason why; but we found a quick and easy solution. We don’t have babies; so it was not a diaper problem. We were doing proper washing machine loading and water levels. We hang up our washcloths and don’t leave them in a heap. So what was going on? As it turns out, the way you hang up your washcloth, is the solution! Here is what we did to end sour smelling washcloths.

Do wring out your washcloth after using. Don’t fold your washcloth and drape over a bar or hang from a hook. In fact we found even not folding, then draping your wash cloth over a bar still made for a sour smell. The tip here was to find a way that air could circulate around both sides of the wash cloth for a faster drying time eliminating the chance for bacteria to grow. So, what was the trick? What can we use to let the air circulate around the washcloth? We new it was impractical to put our washcloths in the dryer after we used them; and hanging a clothes line in the shower was just plain crazy.



Holes in the soap dish allow air
to flow under the washcloth.

 Like most inventions and ideas, we happened upon the solution by accident. We had an extra suction cup soap holder in the shower stall. After wringing out the washcloth we let it drape across the soap dish; and let the washcloth hang down. One other thing we did to improve on the idea was to place the soap dish toward the top of the shower stall on the opposite wall of the shower head. Moving the washcloth higher away from excess moisture; and providing better air circulation stopped the bacteria from forming thus eliminating that sour smell in the bathroom.



Good bye sour smelling washcloths!

 In conclusion: wash your towels and washcloths with the proper amount of detergent, correct water levels and load size. Don’t wash diapers with your regular laundry. Don’t leave a washcloth in a heap; and don’t drape over a rod or hang on a hook. Do wring out your washcloth well. Do drape over a soap dish or other like item so air can circulate freely around the washcloth. Do wash your washcloths and towels on a regular basis. Hubcaps and Gravy hopes these hints and tips work just as well for you as they did for us!