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Sunday, May 30, 2021

10 Free Personal Gift Ideas to Honor Dad

These days, the thought counts more and more.

If you're looking for ways to celebrate dad that involve a personal touch, check out these suggestions.

1. Framed Handprint Art

Have the kids, whether little or big, create a collage of their handprints. If the kids are all grown up, do it anyway, it still makes a beautiful, personal gift. In fact, for adult kids create a collage of everyone's feet - how funny would that be, lol - then frame it.

2. Create a Collage of Personal Love Messages for Dad

Have the kids write out what they love about dad, glue the messages to a board, frame it, or have it laminated. Keep dad's personal messages from family, from every special occasion in a scrapbook or album. It doesn't matter if you haven't started this tradition in the early years; start it today.

3. Spend Time with Dad

Spend the day with dad, watch movies, go for walks, or play games. Show interest in the things he loves. Or just sit and talk to dad. When our parents are gone, we wish for one more day to be with them. Treat this special day as if it were a magic wish you've been granted.

Have you ever heard "One More Day" by Diamond Rio - Listen to the lyrics; they say it best; they're a moving reminder of why we should spend time with those we love while we can. Don't take dad for granted; he won't always be there. If you're reading this via mobile, here's the link to the song.

4. Cook Dad's Favorite Meal

This is a standard in our home for birthdays and other celebrations. The person of the day gets to pick the menu. We spend time together having dinner as a family.

5. Go on a Hike Together

Plan an all-day outing with dad. Take him on a hike. Spend the day outdoors and treat him to conversation and physical activity.

6. Assemble His Family History in a Book

Research dad's family history and present dad with a book that highlights his ancestors and the entire family all the way up to the current time. Dad will love this gift; it's one he can hand back and pass along to grandchildren.

7. Plan a Family Soccer or Baseball Game

Organize a day at the local baseball or soccer field and spend the entire day playing sports, laughing, and eating. Pack a picnic and make it a full day of outdoor fun.

8. Clean Dads Car and Garage

If dad rarely has time to do those weekend cleaning tasks, do it for him. Have him sit outside with his favorite beverage, in a comfortable chair, with his favorite music blasting, watching you all work as you clean up the garage and wash his car.

9. Create a YouTube Video Music Playlist

Create a YouTube video playlist featuring all of Dad's favorite songs. Make the list public, and write a beautiful personal message in the video description area for all the world to see. You can also create a list of songs that honor dad from a daughter's point of view. You can find a list of ten suggested father/daughter songs here. Here's are songs to honor father/son relationships.

10. Write a Poem or Create a Video Poem

If creating video poems isn't your thing, simply write a poem from everyone or just from you and frame it.

Here's a video poem I wrote long ago for my husband on the passing of his father: If you're viewing this via mobile, the video is here on YouTube.

Enjoy your day with dad. Time with dad is truly the best gift for you and for him.

For My Dad In Heaven: "Last night I had a crazy dream, a wish was granted just for me, it could be for anything, I didn't ask for money or a mansion in Malibu, I simply wished for one more day with you, but then again, I know what it would do, leave me wishing still, for one more day with you" (Lyrics - One More Day by Diamond Rio).

Dad, I'll love you 'til the end of time, and time never ends.

Note: The author may receive a commission from purchases made using links found in this article. “As an Amazon Associate, Ebay (EPN), Esty (Awin), and/or Zazzle Affiliate, I (we) earn from qualifying purchases.”

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Saturday, May 29, 2021

How Bed Socks Can Equal a Happy Marriage!

Today I want to review bed socks because they really can help keep a marriage happy! If your partner has cold feet, keep reading.

Reviewing bedsocks and how they can save your marriage

Original photo, Pixabay.com adapted by Lou16

May is my birthday month and after giving me a cow onesie last birthday, my husband went for something that would be a gift for both of us - bedsocks!

I imagine that there could be nothing worse than encountering a couple of blocks of ice when you're snuggled up in bed, but pushing your partner away probably isn't great for your marriage either, so - bedsocks!

I have always had cold feet, but as newlyweds, my husband acted as my human hot water bottle and would warm them up for me. As he's gotten older he feels the cold more and if I rest my feet on the back of his calves to warm them up, I don't get a great reaction!

I will be honest, I didn't appreciate losing my little feet warmer which is why I recommend adding bedsocks to the marriage if you're in a similar situation. No hurt feelings and no freezing feet to move away from, they really are a win/win item.

Socks are great and we've written a number of different reviews on this site about them - sock reviews - however, don't think that you can just wear a pair of socks to bed, that is not the same as bedsocks! Bedsocks should be soft and, in my opinion, they should be fluffy. All of the bedsocks I have owned have been very fluffy.

A bonus as you get older are the bedsocks with grips on the bottom - I really should be wearing these as I walk around the house in my bedsocks, but my husband always goes for the ones that feel nice and soft and did I say fluffy!

I think cold feet must be genetic because I can remember as a teenager my dad buying my mum a couple of pairs of bedsocks for Christmas one year. I remember because he wrote a poem to go with them which I thought was really romantic (but I'd never have admitted that as I was a teenager!). It was no prize-winning poem but a' roses are red' type of poem. I think it went something like this:

Roses are red
Violets are blue
Your feet are cold
So these are for you

Now I didn't get a poem from my husband, in fact I did tell someone 'hang on romance must be dead as I got flowers from my mum, jewelry from my daughter and socks from my husband!' They knew I was joking as the socks were really appreciated, I just wish he could've found some that looked like hoofs to go with the cow onesie, but apparently, he couldn't find any like that. On a side note, I HAVE discovered some (although they're not bedsocks) so if you would like hoof socks check these out! I'm thinking about getting some - if I do I'll definitely review them for you and even photograph them with my cow onesie just so you can really appreciate them!

Now, who's going to admit to having cold feet? You know they say cold feet mean a warm heart (or is that cold hands?).

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Friday, May 28, 2021

Kandio Non Contact Infrared Sensor Thermometer Reviewed

At the beginning of the pandemic, I realized I didn't have a very good thermometer in my home. All of our existing thermometers were decades old and took temperature in the ear or mouth. Because we were warned about how easy it was for the virus to spread, I decided we needed a no touch thermometer.

I promptly went to Amazon and bought a no contact infrared thermometer. After waiting weeks for it to be delivered, it didn't work at all upon arrival. I returned that one and ordered another one that was available.

Again, I had to wait weeks. Upon arrival, the second thermometer would turn on, but it definitely did not show correct temperatures. Not only were the readings way too low, but they were inconsistent. I returned that thermometer too. What seemed apparent to me was that there was a lot of trash being sold on the market and the sellers were price gouging.

Both of those thermometers exceeded $100 price tag, but I really wanted, actually felt we needed, a no touch thermometer. I was quite frustrated and had no idea how I could get a working non contact sensor thermometer. Frankly, I was wary of ordering another one so I ordered from a different site. Same results!

After 3 unsatisfactory orders, I gave up on buying the thermometer online. I had expressed my frustration to my husband and clearly he was listening because one day he came home with the Kandio No Contact Infrared Sensor Thermometer and it works!!!

He purchased ours at our local independent pharmacy. It was in the window when he drove by. He spotted it and promptly bought one for our household. Pretty awesome and greatly appreciated!

Before writing this review, I checked the major online sites and couldn't find anyone carrying the Kandio thermometer, but I do see there are sellers on Ebay carrying them.

My recommendation, don't waste your money and time on others! Seek out the Kandio Non Contact Infrared Sensor Thermometer.

The Kandio Non Contact Infrared Sensor Thermometer

Below is the information on the thermometer that my husband bought for us. Along with the model number, I am sharing what we paid for ours so you know if you are getting a fair price or not.

Model: GDTWQ36

Our Kandio thermometer cost: $59.99

Temperature is taken by aiming the thermometer at the forehead (1 - 2 inches away) and squeezing the trigger button on the handle. Therefore, the thermometer never touches the "patient" and you can easily stand an arms length away.

Fast, accurate reading in 1 second
Large, easy to read display screen
Back-lit display (you don't have to disturb patients rest)
Beeps when temperate is taken
Auto Shut-off after 1 minute
2 AAA batteries required

This has been the only reliable no contact thermometer that I have found available. How about you? Have you found a reliable no touch/non contact thermometer? If so, please share the thermometer product information in the comments below. We want everyone to be able to check and monitor their own temperature accurately.

Stay Safe & Healthy!

Thursday, May 27, 2021

Review of Shark VacMop

Shark A1 Robot VACMOP

After a month with our new dog, Dixie, I knew I needed another solution for keeping our floors free of dog hair and paw prints. We have had a robot vaccum for several years and I really liked how it worked, however it was getting older and even though we had replaced the battery, it just couldn't handle the whole house without several recharging sessions. Also, after two very rainy days, I saw that paw prints were also going to be a problem and the vacuum just didn't solve that problem. I had seen the new robots that had both vacuum and mop features and I was intrigued.

Checking out the Features of the new Vacuum/Mops

There are many new vacuum and mop robots on the market and I found I had to read everything carefully to find one with the features that would work best for our house. I didn't know much about them when I started out , but I did know I wanted one that both mopped and vacuumed at the same time. That feature alone eliminated several of the models who did one or the other, or that you had to change trays to switch from vacuuming to mopping. I didn't want that.

I also found that several of the new models were wifi connected and would do a lot using my smart phone. I even found a few that would work with Alexa or the Google Assistant.

I also wanted one that would really pick up the pet hair and one that would be easy to clean.

Features of the Shark AI Robot VACMOP(TM)

After my research and then checking out the sales, I decided on a Shark Robot. The ads said it was perfect for pet hair, had advanced navigation and a self cleaning brush roll. Here are the features that helped me make my decision.

1. VacMop mode vacuums and mops at the

same time.

2. Vac Mode has several speeds of suction,

allowing it to efficiently pick up debris

and pet hair.

3. Row by Row cleaning that has a laser vision

to detect and avoid objects.

4. It has WiFi and works with both Alexa and

Google Assistant.

How I Like my New Robot

I love my new Shark Robot. When I first got it, I had it do a run to map out our house. That was really cool how it navigated the house and then I was able to pull up a little map on my Smart Phone. I then was able to mark carpets or any other area I did not want the robot to mop.

I have found that it does an excellent job keeping my floors clean and free of pet hair. I could choose to have it go at a scheduled time, but since we are always home I just tell Alexa when I want it to run.

I have found it easy to clean after using. I just empty the dust pan and shake out the filter. I will want to wash the filter once a month.

I am very pleased with my purchase and would definitely recommend this brand and model.

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Wednesday, May 26, 2021

Wonderful Tools to Help You Age Gracefully-A Product Review

Aging is not for the Faint of Heart, but it's better than the alternative!

This is a quote that many older folks often say and as I'm getting older I would have to agree with them. There are so many things to be thankful for when we reach that "Golden Age"! But (and now comes the truth), there are also many things that start to go wrong! Things that we never noticed in our youth. Like the effects of arthritis on our joints especially hips and knees, fingers and such.

My other half and I look after two more elderly than us, relatives. My uncle turns 91 today and my mother turns 90 in August! While we "look after" them, they are still both in good health (relatively speaking) and only require help with shopping, doctors appointments and such. So we are blessed that they both still have their wits about them.

One thing that they both complain about is getting up and down. Stairs and getting up off of the couch or chair causes them both some measure of discomfort. They are both showing signs of age related arthritis that can be very painful at times. That seems to be their most difficult and constant complaint. They can't get up as easily as they used to!

So we started to look for things that would raise their chairs and couches up a little bit more so that they didn't have to work so hard to get up. What we found were several options that were affordable, easy to install and provided that extra lift!

Buying new furniture was not an option for either of them or we might have suggested that!

Now my uncle is tall (over 6 ft.) and my mother isn't a shorty either, so we decided to go with something that would give them enough of a lift so that when sitting their knees were at 90 degrees to their hips. Right now, without these risers, their "bottoms" are lower than their knees, making it hard to rise up out of the chair or couch.

Medical equipment specialists, have chairs that will electronically almost stand a person out of the chair when activated, but that was over doing it where my family was concerned and they are very pricey ($400+).

Furniture risers seemed to be a great answer and we decided to try it ourselves first because I have very bad arthritis in my knees and was having the same problems that they were having. We ordered and installed the "iPrimio Furniture Risers" and it could not have been easier. Simply lift each leg and slide the riser under the foot of the couch and place it back down again. No holes to drill, no marking up the floors, no slipping either as they have a rubber foot that doesn't slide. Within minutes our couch was 3 inches higher than it was before.

risers used under a couch to raise the couch height

These are the risers that we have installed on our couch.

Added bonus is that now it is even easier to vacuum under the couch. With that extra bit of space underneath, the vacuum head easily reaches under the couch!

You can see in the ad, that there are also risers for bed frames too. No need to buy a whole new bed assembly, just lift and install the risers and I know you will hear words of thanks coming from your loved ones.

Bathrooms are also problematic. Just recently toilets are being made to what is called a "comfort height". If they live in their own homes you could hire a plumber to install one of these but again be prepared for a cost that is not average. A regular standard height toilet will cost about $150. dollars without installation. You can get regular height toilets that can cost much more for "decorator styles". Comfort height toilets will start at $270. plus! Again that is just for the toilet, installation will cost extra.

But, when getting up and down is a real effort or causes pain, then you have options that can help your loved ones live life easier with just a few modifications. Safety and comfort for our aging population are important as we try to keep them as independent as possible.

I hope that my experiences with these really easy additions might help you with whatever joint related issues you or one of your loved ones might be having.

The risers are wonderful and you would never guess that they were added after the fact! Everyone who comes to our house enjoys sitting on the chairs and couch, not realizing that the extra height makes it so much more comfortable. Rising from them is no longer a pain in the knees or anywhere else.