5 Mocktail Recipes Preginistas Can Make For The Virtual Happy Hour

Posted on April 3, 2020

Virtual happy hours are becoming a big thing in this era of coronavirus break out. Offices and groups of friends are getting together on Zoom, Skype and other video meeting platforms to shoot the breeze, have a drink and listen to tunes together.

If you are expecting, certainly, you cannot have an alcoholic beverage if you plan to attend one of these things.

However, lucky for you, there re lots of mocktail recipes out there you can whip up so you can participate. Here are 5 recipes excerpted and curated below from past posts and CraftyBartending.

I love the soothing effect of ginger on digestion which is important for pregnant women dealing with indigestion, nausea and other issues so so check out the ginger mocktail below.

Nojito

( a non-alcoholic take on the Mojito)

10-12 fresh small spearmint leaves

1/2 lime, juiced

7 oz sprite zero or club soda

1 tbsp sugar or Splenda

crushed ice

In a cool tall glass, muddle the mint, sugar or splenda or Agave and lime juice. Add crushed ice and soda and stir well. Garnish with a lime wedge and a few sprigs of mint. Serve with a straw.

Pink Grapefruit Preggatini

Diet Pink Grapefruit soda

Pomegranate Syrup or grenadine

Splash of lime

Combine ingredients, add ice, stir and enjoy. Garnish with a slice of grapefruit.

Lemon, Lime & Bitters

Technically not a mocktail because it calls for bitters and bitters contains alcohol, but the overall alcoholic content is so small, that it barely counts. It’s a very easy drink to make so it’s great to have in your repertoire. This is an extremely popular mocktail in Australia, even for kids, but there’s no reason why it shouldn’t be popular elsewhere – so spread the word!

Serve in a Highball glass

1/2 shot lime cordial
Top with sprite
3 dashes Angostura bitters
1 lemon wedge for garnish

Add sprite to an ice-filled highball glass. Float lime cordial on top. Add 3 dashes of Angostura bitters. Add the garnish.

Pineapple Ginger Beer

This is a refreshing, non-boozy take on the Dark ’n’ Stormy cocktail. It replaces the rum with pineapple juice & adds some extra ginger syrup. It’s another great mocktail to add to your repertoire because it uses commonly available ingredients.

Serve in a Collins glass

1 1/2 shots pineapple juice
1 shot fresh lime juice
1 shot ginger syrup
Top with ginger beer
1 lime wedge for garnish

Shake & strain the first 3 ingredients into an ice-filled collins glass. Top with ginger beer. Add the garnish.

Shirley Temple

Commonly served to children dining in restaurants in replacement of real cocktails, this is an essential mocktail to know for the restaurant bartender. It’s believed to have originated in the 1930s in Hollywood, the name coming from the former Iconic child star, Shirley Temple. Funnily enough, she dislikes the mocktail describing it as far too sweet. That’s probably why children love it.

Serve in a Highball glass

1/2 shot grenadine
1/2 shot fresh lemon juice
Top with ginger ale
1 cherry & 1 lemon wedge for garnish

Build in an ice-filled highball glass. Top with ginger ale & lightly stir. Add the garnish.

Enjoy!

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60 Fun Things To Do With Kids At Or Near Home

Posted on April 3, 2020

Having to self-isolate at home is not easy. By now, boredom has set in and the natives are getting restless. If you can, mix up the different activities you do with your children to off set mischievous behavior.

Here is an list of 60 things to do excerpted from a past post.

1. Bake cookies for ice cream sandwiches.

2. Make a photo journal or a family yearbook.

3. Have a luau in the backyard.

4. Make a fort out of cardboard boxes.

5. Make ice cream.

6. Write and illustrate your own book.

7. Forget cooking — set up an ice cream sundae buffet for dinner.

8. Clean up trash at a local park.

9. Have a backyard campfire…or just use the grill! Roast hot dogs on sticks, pop popcorn and finish off with s’mores.

10. Stage an A to Z backyard scavenger hunt, where you have to find something that starts with every letter.

11. Make homemade pizza.

12. Go for a walk and then make a collage from nature objects you find along the way.

13. Take bread to a creek and feed the ducks.

14. Have a backyard water balloon fight.

15. Practice your origami skills and make objects to hang from the ceiling.

16. Go biking on a trail

17. Call and Interview an older relative about what life was like when they were young.

18. Plan a picnic in your backyard.

19. Create salad spinner art: Place circles of paper inside a cheap salad spinner, dab tempera paints on top, cover and spin away.

20. Practice making interesting shadow puppets and then put on a show with your characters.

21. Plant a garden of herbs and veggies.

22. Make a sidewalk chalk mural.

23. Have an outdoor painting party using huge canvases or cardboard.

24. Plant a butterfly garden with flowers.

25. Pretend to be pirates for a day — dress up in costumes, plan a treasure hunt and talk like a pirate.

26. Make an indoor sandbox using colored rice: mix 4 cups of rice with 3 tablespoons of rubbing alcohol and a few drops of food coloring and let dry overnight.

27. Turn the backyard into a carnival — set up a face painting area and games like ring toss.

28. Make totem poles out of paper towel rolls and decorate them.

29. Make a giant hopscotch or Twister game on the lawn (with spray paint) or driveway (with chalk).

30. String beads into jewelry.

31. Make a bird house out of Popsicle sticks.

32. Create leis with wildflowers.

33. Go fossil hunting near a lake.

34. Break out your baseball gloves and start a game, sandlot style, with the family.

35. Make paper boats and race them in a kiddie pool using straws to propel them.

36. Play mini-golf — or set up a course in your driveway by laying different size containers on their sides.

37. Make your own colored sand and create sand art.

38. Get a map of the United States and mark off all the exciting places you want to visit — create the ultimate road trip.

39. Set up a net and play badminton and volleyball.

40. Collect rocks in the bakyard or and paint them to use as paperweights or pet rocks.

41. Go roller skating in the driveway.

42. Blend your own smoothie.

43.Let kids paint the sidewalk or patio with plain old water and sponge brushes. When their creation dries, they can begin again

44.Bake cupcakes in ice cream cones and then decorate them.

45. Assemble a family cookbook with all your favorite recipes.

46. Make popsicles in Dixie cups using fruit juices.

47. Stage your own Olympics races, hurdles and relays.

48. Create a backyard circus — kids can pretend to be animals and dress up as clowns.

49. Make Mexican paper flowers using different colored tissue paper.

50. Make crafts with recyclable items like stickers using old photos, magazines and repositionable glue.

51. Make your own hard-to-pop bubbles with 1 cup of distilled water, 2 tablespoons of Dawn dish soap and 1 tablespoon of glycerin.

52. Paint canvas sneakers with fabric paint pens or acrylic paint.

53. Create three dimensional buildings using toothpicks and mini-marshmallows.

54. Make bird feeders by covering pine cones with peanut butter and rolling in birdseed.

55. Paint with ice by freezing ice cube trays with washable tempera paint.

56. Create unusual s’mores by experimenting with ingredients like cookies, bananas, flavored marshmallows and white chocolate.

57. Have a fancy tea party.

58.Have a backyard camp-out.

59. Set up a tent in the backyard to use as a summer playhouse.

60. Take a free kid’s workshop at stores like Lowe’s, Home Depot or Pottery Barn.

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No-Sew DIY Emergency Facemasks You Can Make At Home {VIDEOS}

Posted on April 2, 2020

The CDC is reconsidering its initial advice regarding the wearing of mask. Previously, under the current directive, the agency recommended that Americans leave the mask wearing to those who have COVID-19 already and medical professionals.

However, since then, it has been well reported that people can have the virus and be asymptomatic, meaning they would have no symptoms associated with the disease. Because it was being recommended that only known patients wear masks, the asymptomatic coronavirus sufferers would be out there spreading the disease without knowing it.

Masks are available online though not readily or quickly available. The paper mask that would not suffice to shield out the virus but is probably good enough to wear while grocery shopping is available for $5.90 $18.88 for 50 on Amazon but it is going out of stock fast.

The professional grade N95 masks are just not available at all. We have a sewing machine in our house but no one in here knows how to sew. Thankfully, YouTube stars have been great about sharing their quick tutorials on how to make a no sew mask!

Here are a few videos:

First, my fave bc it is the simplest:

Make your own face mask at home using fabric you can find in your closet. No skills needed, no sewing machine needed.
Posted by Nifty on Wednesday, March 25, 2020

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Pregnancy

Gestational Diabetes: What Newly Pregnant Moms Need to Know

Posted on April 2, 2020

Photo by Alekon pictures on Unsplash

If you’re newly pregnant right now, you’ll be asked to take a glucose loading test between 25 and 28 weeks of your pregnancy.

It’s one of those rites of pregnancy but most mothers-to-be just don’t look forward to, explain Twin Doctors, Dr. Idries Abdur-Rahman MD and Jamil Abdur-Rahman, authors of “Everything You Ever Wanted to Know About Pregnancy: But Were Too Afraid or Embarrassed to Ask”

Eighteen years ago, when I was pregnant with my first child, I took the test and found out I had developed Gestational Diabetes. I actually contributed to my diagnosis. Early in my pregnancy, I discovered that one way to cope with all day morning sickness and nausea was to sip 7-11 Slurpees all day. If you’re familiar with that slushy ice beverage, you know it is loaded with sugar, ergo high amount of carbs and higher blood sugar. After the discovery, I got treated and recovered.

It is very important to not skip the test.

You need to know if you have it because untreated gestational diabetes can cause premature birth and stillbirth, the March of Dimes warns.

How does the test go

The Twin Doctors write in Everything You Ever Wanted to Know:

The loading part of the glucose loading test involves drinking a super sugary drink called glucola. Glucola comes in multiple flavors with orange, lemon and fruit punch being the most common. All of the glucola drinks contain 50 grams of glucose. When you have diabetes, your body doesn’t metabolize (break down) sugar the way that it normally would, this results in higher than normal blood sugar levels. One hour after you drink glucola, your blood will be drawn, if your blood glucose level is more than 140, it is considered abnormal. Because the GLT is a screening test, an abnormal GLT means that you have a higher change of having diabetes but it is not diagnostic.
If your GLT is abnormal, you have to do another test called the 3-hour Glucose Tolerance Test (GTT). This is the definitive way to diagnose gestational diabetes. This test involves drinking twice as much of the glucola drink (100 grams) and having your blood drawn four times. Unlike the initial GLT, the 3-hour GTT requires you to fast for at least 8 hours and have your blood drawn before you drink the glucola, as well as 1-hour, 2-hours, and 3-hours after you finish the drink. An abnormal 3-hour GTT means that you have gestational diabetes

The Effects Linger

If you end up with an abnormal test and are determined to have GB, the good news is that it goes away when you deliver the baby. Your body will no longer sense a foreign object, the baby, and will stop fighting itself. The effects are long term, however. The mother and baby become high risk of developing diabetes or other forms of autoimmune diseased sometime later in life. The Mayo Clinic recommends moms and their babies to be aware of this risk, and possibly test for it periodically.

It’s a First World thing

Diabetes is becoming more and more common in the western world and patients who have diabetes are considered higher risk during pregnancy. According to the Twin Docs, in their book, Diabetic mothers have a higher risk of:

Preterm labor and delivery.
Developing high blood pressure during pregnancy.
Having abnormally large babies.
Sustaining pelvic floor damage during delivery
Delivering by C/Section.
Developing diabetes later in life.

None of these outcomes is wanted. However, you can increase your odds of having a favorable test before it comes time to take the test.

Here are some tips:

Get good sleep. Chronic sleep deprivation is associated with higher incidences of heart disease, diabetes, weight gain and cancer so make sure to end your day earlier and get a good night’s rest, or if you can, take naps during the day.

Lessen your stress level.

Stress is known to raise blood sugar, and if you already have type 2 diabetes you may find that your blood sugar is higher when you are under stress. Changing what you eat, exercising more, or adjusting medication can help to keep it under control.

One study of obese black women without diabetes found that those who produced more stress-related epinephrine when asked to recall stressful life events had higher fasting glucose and bigger blood sugar spikes than those with lower epinephrine, suggesting it might raise your risk for getting diabetes too.

Eat Better

In my case, when I had the condition, the high sugar content of the Slurpees I drank daily to stave off nausea contributed to my blood sugar spike. Those drinks had a lot of carbohydrates. So, in short, you should reduce your carb intake.

In fact, when I developed GD and saw a nutritionist, I was told to not ingest more than 25 carb grams per meal. When I did not, I stabilized my blood sugar levels and stopped gaining an insane amount of weight. In fact, I only gained about a few more pounds after that. Before, I was gaining too much weight and too fast.

Health information website Healthline recommends that you:

Eat protein with every meal.
Include daily fruits and vegetables in your diet.
Limit or avoid processed foods.
Pay attention to portion sizes to avoid overeating.

It is very possible to reverse a dangerous course and end up getting a positive result when your time comes to take the test if you stick with these tips.

Want more information? Get the Twin Doctors’ book:

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Celebrity

Report: Mega DJ Diplo Welcomes Baby Boy with Trinidad Beauty Queen

Posted on April 1, 2020

Mega Popular DJ, producer and songwriter Diplo just welcomed a new baby with Miss Universe Trinidad and Tobago 2014, Jevon King.

Diplo, real name Thomas Wesley Pentz has not confirmed the news but King announced the arrival on her Instagram page that she welcomed a baby boy on March 20 and Diplo was among those who “liked” the photo.

A simple blue heart and butterfly was all she used to caption a logo of the newborn’s name, Pace, and his birthrate.

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??
A post shared by Jevon Iola King (@jevon.i.king) on Mar 21, 2020 at 7:02am PDT

Diplo is currently in self-isolation to protect his two other children, sons Lockett and Lazer, with ex-girlfriend Kathryn Lockhart. The boys are currently living with their grandmother, therefore, Diplo has decided to practice social distancing to protect her.

From her Instagram photos, King documented her pregnancy journey well though never revealed who her child’s dad is. Congrats!

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There is no greater warrior than a mother protecting her child ??? #babybrunch #babyboy #todaywasperfect #didntneedanythingelse #babyp #8monthspregnant
A post shared by Jevon Iola King (@jevon.i.king) on Feb 9, 2020 at 9:29am PST

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I was so terrified of turning 30 this year! I kept looking at my life and second guessing my accomplishment. I thought about my personal goals that I wanted to achieve but didn’t just yet. My mom would always tell me “everything will fall into place when the time is right”. Boy oh boy it did! Something about feeling you growing inside me makes me feel so complete. I love you so much already. I can’t wait to hold you , smell you and be loved by you unconditionally. Usually I turn up for my birthday but this year is a different kind of turn up, we celebrate you!??? #happybirthdaytome #birthdaygirl #30 #blessed #excited #libra #04.10 #kingtoqueen #2020?? Makeup? @jacquelinearneaud Dress ? @shop.it.ally Photography ? @revengeisstreet
A post shared by Jevon Iola King (@jevon.i.king) on Oct 4, 2019 at 9:15am PDT

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All that matters ?? #babyp #meandyou #lovelikedove ?: @crown_media_house
A post shared by Jevon Iola King (@jevon.i.king) on Nov 11, 2019 at 2:18pm PST

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Brand New Parents Guide to Co-Parenting In the Age of the COVID-19 Pandemic

Posted on April 1, 2020

Photo by Anastasiya Gepp from Pexels

When you have a baby, you not only have to learn how to care for your infant, you also have to learn how to work as a team with your parenting partner.

With the current COVID-19 pandemic, new moms and dads are in even closer proximity postpartum. They’re getting a crash course in navigating their relationships and in creating equity when it comes to sharing parenting responsibilities.

Dr. Whitney Casares, author of the book “The New Baby Blueprint: Caring for You and Your Little“ has tips on how you can successfully share the load with your partner.

Designate a soother in chief if you’re the breastfeeder in chief

If you are breastfeeding, you have a full-time job that requires rest, fluids, and patience to learn and perfect. You are the feeder in chief. You’ll do your fair share of soothing as a function of that job. But your partner should take the lead on soothing so that you can accomplish your main mission: feeding your baby.

You’re not a magician

Accept that you are not a magician and cannot develop a mom’s intuition overnight. You need your partner’s help, and (sometimes, believe it or not) partners have valid ideas! Two problem-solvers are better than one. When I learned to ask for help—especially when I was at my weakest physically and emotionally—I found others around me stepped up and, ultimately, that we became a powerful team. Never be afraid to reach out if you are struggling. There is help and hope, even if it doesn’t always feel like it.

Recognize strengths and weaknesses

Parenting is a balance of tasks and responsibilities, and one partner may have more skills or patience for some of them. Instead of evaluating or comparing contributions, figure out your partner’s parenting superpowers. All of us bring amazing things to our parenting partnerships. I see all kinds of parents in clinic—analytical types asking tons of specific questions, the research-focused contingent searching for the evidence behind pediatric recommendations, and laid-back parents letting the stresses of early parenting easily roll off their backs. We all have something we bring to the table.

Get educated together

How does one become an expert in their field? They study. If you are the only one in your family studying up on babies and parenting before or after your newborn arrives, you may feel as if you are the only one who knows anything, and you may be the only one who feels confident enough to take charge.

Everyone learns in different ways. If you learn best by reading, your partner may learn best by attending a class online or in person. Or, your partner may learn best by talking with otherswho have been through it. It probably won’t work to force your partner to learn the exact same way you do, but expect that both of you have a working knowledge of common baby issues, newborn care basics, and proven calming techniques so that you can problem-solve from the same educated perspective.

Take a giant step back

When someone doesn’t trust us or tries to manage us, it can make us feel resentful and irritated. We sometimes even lose our organic interest in the topic and stop putting our best effort into it.

That’s what happens when we don’t allow our partners to play an equal role in taking care of our children. We sabotage our hope of true co-parenting. Instead, be conscious about how to empower your other half to be the parenting boss more often. That might mean leaving the house so that your partner has the space to parent without your eagle eye. It definitely will mean holding your tongue (or sighs, or eye rolls, or judgment) if your partner is not doing things exactly how you would do them. If you both get educated together, you can be equal “experts” and this won’t be so hard.

Above all, learn to say, “I’m sorry”

You are going through one of the most significant changes in your life. So is your partner. There will be times you will implode or explode from the stress of that transition and of our current events. When you lose it, figure out whether there is something to be learned or the pot of water just got a little too hot and boiled over. Learn to say, “I’m sorry” and to consider how to make it better next time. When you and your partner act.

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News

Drake Introduced the World to His Son, Adonis

Posted on March 31, 2020

Instagram: ChampagnePapi

Rapper Drake made news this weekend when he finally shared a photo of his now 2 1/2 year old son Adonis on his Instagram page.

In the series of photos he posted on his account, followers and fans get to admire the bright eyed, strawberry blonde curly haired adorable little boy who looks very much like Drake’s mom from the photos Drake also posted in the slideshow.

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What is most important for you right now is to connect to your own inner light. This will create the biggest opening of all. Trust that you have all of the power within to make this happen, and in order to do that connect to the people and things that bring you a lot of joy. When the mind starts to move into overthinking or fear, shift your attention right away to something bright. It doesn’t matter what has happened in the past or what is happening around us now, you can always make the choice to break free of the wheel of suffering and panic and open up to your own light. We are powerful manifestors , so once you make the choice in the moment to shift your awareness to something good, it will show you in your reality. Be conscious, especially right now of fears coming in from others, and recognize that not everything should be held by you. Laughter is your best medicine, but tears can also be a powerful release. Let go of any judgment you may have around that. Remember that you are never alone, and if you need to be reminded of that ask for support and it will show up. Everything comes down to intention, and even though there are conflicting energies circling around us you must KNOW…It will rebuild. But in order for that to happen, you have to do exactly that. Trust. You have the biggest heart and that is your greatest gift. It’s impossible to always control your surroundings, but when you shift the focus to how you want to feel, everything will conspire to assist you. I love and miss my beautiful family and friends and I can’t wait for the joyful day when we are all able to reunite. Until then please keep your lights on. ?
A post shared by champagnepapi (@champagnepapi) on Mar 30, 2020 at 2:14am PDT

Drake, real name Aubrey Graham, and his ex Sophie Brussaux , a former adult film star, are seen smiling in one posed photo with Adonis in the center.

The “Hotline Bling” performer had previously kept his child’s existence hidden until rapper Pusha T outed the news in a diss track.

When asked about the accusation that he hid his biological child in one interview, Drizzy said that he had sought a paternity test which was damaged in transit in the mail and had to be redone.

Speaking to Rap Radar, the God’s Plan rapper explained: ‘To be honest with you, I did a DNA test for my son and it came back to us and it said the DNA test got ruined in transit and they couldn’t be 100 percent sure that that was my son or not. ‘So, I was in a really weird pending situation where I didn’t want to go tell the world that that was my son and it wasn’t.’

He has since embraced fatherhood and in fact, seemingly decorated Adonis nursery in his newest home in a Hermes-theme.

Brussaux is now a successful artist and has created portraits of famous people like Barack Obama, Emma Watson, Angelina Jolie, and Beyonce.

According to her website, Sophie ‘combines her fascination for cultural and social paradigms with a love of colourful pop-art and symbolism’.

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Tips

Luxe Substitutes for Pampered Housewives on Quarantine

Posted on March 30, 2020

Listen, in these stressful and uncertain times, we should all have one collective goal: Stay indoors and flatten the curve so there will be no more cases of the novel coronavirus and certainly, no more deaths around the globe.

Now the “stay home” part has been hard for some of who keep going out and unfortunately are helping to accelerate the spread of the deadly COVID-19 . One part of this spread has to do with how pampered and spoiled us Americans and other so-called “First World” dwellers are.

I admit, I miss some stuff.

After having to endure my husband’s weak coffee today, I am realizing that there are certain pampered wife luxuries that I am used to and I am among those struggling with having to do without certain simple luxuries.

But we know this is temporary and there are alternative solutions available to us. Here are my picks of luxe substitutes:

ESPRESSO MACHINE

Today, with all my fave local Starbucks stores closed and our state being issued a Stay-At-Home Directive, I realized I need to invest in an espresso machine to brew my own lattes, Americans and Dopios.

I do not want to spend a lot of money on this machine because I am hopeful and prayerful that we will beat this fast spreading disease this year so I only need a machine to last about a year

The Brentwood GA-12 Espresso and Capuccino maker is an Amazon Choice and has mainly great reviews, and a few really credible bad ones, but at a low $39.99, you cannot beat the price for the level of sustained alertness that I will be getting by not having to settle with plain old coffee. Fellow strong coffee and espresso addicts, get one too and let’s compare.

That got me thinking of other things we took for granted but will quickly need to learn how to do ourselves. For example, because I do occassional YouTube videos, IG Story, Snap and guest appearances, I need to have my nails and hair looking decent. I have wigs and hats and other options I can use for my head but for my nails, I’m finding I have to resort to my old pre-manicured press on nails.

PRE-MANICURED ACRYLIC NAILS

These days, they are glue on and my fave and reliable brand is Kiss. You can get a pack of French Manicure with enough nails to last you over a month in case you lose one here and there. They look very professional on screen. Order yours from Amazon for just $7.99. Check out how they look on my nails here:

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I'm Done with Dishwashing for a week! Just got my nails done at Salon D.I.Y which specializes in French manicure Lee Press Ons?? #nothingisopen #nailsarentessential? #sayswho #Frenchmanicure #pressonnails #totherescue #diynails #nailsathome #athomenails #athomemanicure
A post shared by JAY JAY| Social Media Trainer (@jayjayghatt) on Mar 27, 2020 at 8:47pm PDT

ZOOM

I’ve seen all the professionals who have regular offices and work lives meeting up on Zoom and then I saw some of them convert those Zoom accounts to virtual happy hours! I want to host one with my girls! Hmmm. I guess I would first have to sign up for a FREE Zoom account or…. I could try to figure out how the new Google Hangouts work and hook it up that way.

To host a virtual happy hour: (1) pick invitees; (2) decide on dress code (3) select a theme of drinks, like are we having wine, beer or cocktails (4) pick the mode of meet up and set it all up to grid so everyone can see everyone; and finally, (5) appoint someone to provide the music or playlist

People can also log on to the recently launched Viral Happy Hour website, www.viralhappyhour.com, which was started by 50-year-old Atlanta native Keith Greenstein and a couple of his friends.

Noticing how many people were going online to hang out with friends he decided to make it easy to schedule a virtual party. The website offers a simple click-by-click way to create a virtual happy hour, just pick the day, (the time is set for 5:19 p.m. to acknowledge COVID-19), and it sends out a Google Hangout invite to your friends.

Facial Steamer

Now that the spas and cosmetic centers that do Botox are closed, those pesky laugh lines and wrinkles are coming back. It’s time to steam those stuckers out stat and hasten the work of anti wrinkle and regenerate salves and balms we’ve been lathering on our faces to fight the effects of aging.

I’m waiting for The Pure Daily Care’s Nano-Ionic Facial Steamer and Humidifier which is also an Amazon Choice because it’s supposed to be good on black heads. That is a big problem I have. I am that person who loves to see the black heads removed on the pore strips so yeah…I’m missing the facial appointents and hoping this almost $40 steamer will really do the trick! We’ll see!

NANO-IONIC FACIAL STEAMER & HUMIDIFIER

Massager

Since I added two other non-essential luxe service, I figure I might as well recommend once again the Naipo Shiatsu Back and Neck Massager with heat and deep kneading massage for the neck, back, shoulder, foot and legs. I have had it for two years and enjoy tremendously with no complaints.

See my review here. This massager is great for after work out, for sitting in an uncomfortable home office chair for extended periods of time or just general aches and pains.

Get one for just $50 on Amazon!

Stay healthy and pampered!

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News

VIRAL: Pregnant Mom with COVID-19 Warns Revelers to Stay Home

Posted on March 30, 2020

A 39-year old mom-to-be in the UK mom, stricken with the coronavirus delivered a sobering message to her fellow humans who insist on going out socially, and ignoring calls from the government to social distance and stay home.

Karen Mannering, who is 26 weeks pregnant, shared in a story on the Storyful app that because of the deadly disease, she has pneumonia in both lungs, has been ill for two weeks and is fighting for her life and the life of her unborn baby.

In between sniffles while crying, the wife and mom of three urged people to say home, said: “If you’re going to meet your friends for a stupid beer … you’re going to take this home and you’re gonna kill someone, one of your family members.”

WATCH HER WARNING HERE:

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Children’s Author’s 10 Tips For Managing Quarantine Life with Kids

Posted on March 29, 2020

Photo by Elly Fairytale from Pexels

We are heading into yet another week of being on lock down in the states and many nations around the world as we all try desperately to try to flatten the curve and growth of the deadly coronavirus.

Dan Pegram, children’s author of Pop-Pop Airplane, How Do You Fly?, has developed a great list of activities that will bring the whole family together and keep everyone sane at the same time.

Here are Dan’s top 10 ways to keep the kids from driving you insane during quarantine:

1. Schoolwork: Continue your children’s assigned schoolwork. Most schools are providing guidance and lessons via the Internet. Just like the classroom environment, make this time structured and devoted to accomplishing their daily assignments. Also, create a workspace for the school age kids equipped with a chair, lamp, pencil holder, crayons, etc.

2. Engage Without Electronics: Limit their time in front of the television, video games, computers and iPad type devices. This may prove difficult at first but if you’re creative this could turn into a blessing in disguise. Assign them simple chores to do so they can earn time on these devices. We have all become increasing addicted to our cell phones and computers. Spending more time engaged with your children during this uncertain period is comforting and lets them know how much you care.

3. Go Outside: Plan activities outside and show your children how we used to entertain ourselves before the Internet and social media. Go for hikes in your neighborhood or on local trails and look for birds and other wildlife. Look up bird species in your area and then see how many you can spot. This could turn into a lifelong hobby. It did for me.

4. Arts and Crafts: Arts and crafts are perfect for promoting creativity and learning new skills. My granddaughters and I try to build something out of balsa wood every time we visit. I do the cutting and they do the building. There are numerous sites online for arts and crafts projects. YouTube art classes are great and age appropriate. Pick a few and get started. It’s a great way to spend time together and be creative. Our grandson and his friends are coloring pictures for each other and putting them in each other’s mailboxes to keep busy and stay in touch with their nearby friends. I recently built three birdhouses and mailed two to our granddaughters. I kept one and we’re decorating them as a project and plan to share our finished products. Putting puzzles together is also a great way to pass the time.

5. Cook Something Together: There’s no better way to teach your kids a valuable skill than by cooking. Dust off your cookbooks, pick a couple of simple recipes and let the magic begin. Your children will learn about ingredients and through measuring will learn a little about fractions. Plan your meals together and let them do some of the simple things like measuring the ingredients, greasing a pan or setting the table. Spending time together at the dinner table talking about the days events, discussing this quarantine situation at their level and planning for tomorrow can’t be over-emphasized. This may be new to some but you will find this time very enriching.

6. Read Books: Reading is a skill that opens the world to youngsters. It’s also a perishable skill that needs continuous practice. During this time away from school would be a great time to introduce your children to some of your old favorite books and discovering some new titles. My new book entitled Pop-Pop Airplane, How Do You Fly? teaches children, ages 3 -7, how airplanes fly and is a great book for stimulating inquisitive young minds. For the more advanced readers, chapter books like Elephant & Piggie by Mo Willems are quite popular. There are also a couple of apps used by schools called EPIC! and Raz-Kids that offer unlimited access to 35,000 of the best children’s books and learning videos so your child can read and learn anytime.

7. Write: As an author I’ve been asked many times, “How do you start writing a book?” My answer is simple – “It’s just like having a conversation with someone and you’re telling them a story or relating some event in your life.” If your children aren’t familiar with journaling, this might be a great time to introduce them to this wonderful writing exercise. Journals don’t have to be formal. Any small notebook is a great place to start. Google search “journaling” for some useful ideas and benefits. Another wonderful app is Teachers Pay Teachers. This app contains printables and worksheets to help youngsters with simple writing projects.

8. Look at Old Photos: One of our children’s, and now grandchildren’s, favorite things to do is drag out the old photo albums and have us tell about each photo. Children are very interested in what life was like back when we were children. They also enjoy learning about grandparents, aunts and uncles and places we have visited. It is so much fun laughing at the old photos, the retro clothing and hairstyles and reliving fun times in our lives.

9. Make Some Noise: If you play a musical instrument or sing, this would be a great time to explore your children’s interest in music. I dabble at playing the guitar and love to sing. The jury is still out on the quality of the noise coming from my office from time to time! Impromptu singing with a wooden spoon or microphone to Lights by Journey with my audio amplifier entertains our granddaughters for hours. YouTube has an endless assortment of lessons for any instrument including vocals. Again, casting inhibition aside, jump in and have some family fun.

10. Stay Calm: This is an unprecedented time for all of us. Remain calm, stay informed and educate your children as to why we are practicing social distancing and staying at home. Emphasize to them how important good hygiene habits are and why most everything we used to do has been curtailed (including play dates). Ensure your children these life-changing times will be over soon and things will go back to near normal. With the exception of being quarantined, try to make each day routine and spend as much quality time together as possible. I hope the above tips and ideas will help you and your children get through the next few weeks and come together as stronger families. By following the guidance given by national health officials and local authorities we all will be smarter individually and as a nation in regard to combating unexpected and dangerous health hazards and pandemics.

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Jeneba Jalloh Ghatt

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