Healthy Living

It’s that time of year again. Holiday parties are just around the corner in the Boston area, so if you’re planning on hosting or attending a party, take a moment to make sure you and your family are ready for such an event. Follow the tips listed below to not only make the most of your holiday party, but to also help the people you love to make the most of their own events. It’s the season of giving, after all. So do your best to give, both to yourself and your loved ones. Look Your Best A big part of holiday prep before a party goes into looking good before the event starts. Start getting ready early so that you can take your time.  Dry clean your holiday outfits  and if you plan to host parties at home, make sure you take your tablecloth and linens to the cleaners, too. With so much cleaning to do, it is best to simply schedule a  laundry pickup  to save time. While you’re working on looking your best, take a bit of time to make sure your home looks great too. If y...

If you feel like you haven’t spent enough time enjoying this fantastic season yet this year, don’t worry. We have just four simple and enjoyable ways to help you get outside and in that amazing New England fall foliage! 1. Take Your Exercise Outdoors We all know how important it is to exercise our bodies — especially those of us who have jobs requiring us to sit down and stare at a computer all day. But, more often than not, motivating ourselves to get out, go to the gym, and do a workout is not nearly as enjoyable as we’d like it to be.   Luckily, there is an easy solution that allows you to both exercise and enjoy the fall weather simultaneously! You can try walking or biking on one of Massachusetts’ rail trails if you tend to enjoy walking, running, biking, or other more aerobic activities. If, on the other hand, you’re more of a gym-equipment type, you could still take advantage of the beautiful fall season by going to a park with  outdoor fitness equipment  such as c...

New England is known across the world for its gorgeous fall colors, and Boston is no exception. As temperatures begin to drop, it is also high time to prepare for the colder winter ahead. Here are a few tips on getting your home and life more organized as you welcome the fall season in Boston.   Clean Up Your Yard Boston is famous for its stunning fall foliage, with vibrant shades of red, orange and gold. People travel from far and wide to witness the glorious colors, as the trees change from hues of green, and living in Boston gives you prime viewing of seasonal splendor. However, falling leaves also need cleaning up to reduce the attraction for pests. Fall is also the time to get your vegetable patch in order for next spring. Give your grass one final mow before the winter, feed the lawn, rake up dead leaves, trim back dead tree and shrub branches, power wash the deck and plant fall flowers. Take time to de-clutter your yard and clean your gutters, too. If removing debris and lea...

Each New Year brings new and exciting possibilities. We get to start on a clean slate and set New Year resolutions. Many goal-setters strive to improve their health. They set resolutions for the New Year, such as do more exercise, go on a diet, get more sunlight, etc. and aim to stick with them. Others get stuck. So I will share with you a few suggestions to live a healthier life. Visit Your Elderly Parents Once a Month Health isn’t exclusively about what you put into your body. Spending time with people you love also assists with health. Some elderly parents receive attention from home health aides . These professional caregivers help senior adults with everyday tasks such as meal preparation, housekeeping and personal hygiene, as well as offering meaningful companionship. However, time with these in-home caregivers is not the same as spending time with your child. Visiting your elderly parent once a month gives them more time with you. You both get to share memories and bond during ...

Gardening is a great way to make your yard look nice, but it’s also much more than that. Gardening is good for the mind and for the body. It’s also a lovely activity to do with your older loved one. The two of you can bond, and you’ll both reap the physical and mental benefits. Gardening is good, safe exercise. Many older adults do not get enough exercise. They may not be capable of going for a jog or even a long walk, but gardening is an approachable activity, even for adults with limited mobility. If yo u  garden alongside your older loved one, you can let them handle what they can, and then pick up the slack. For example, you can let them put plants in the dirt while you do the more demanding activities — like raking and mulching. If your loved one has an i n-home caregiver , you can also suggest gardening as an activity for the two of them to do together. Drop off any supplies they may need, like pots and potting soil. Gardening has other health benefits. In addition to being g...

Spring will be here before we know it! This season represents a fresh new start. The warm air, budding trees, and birds chirping are all so enjoyable after a chilly winter. So, how can you prepare for the arrival of this rejuvenating season? Start with these suggestions. 1. Clean Your House Spring cleaning is an age-old tradition. And indeed, this is the perfect time of year for a thorough, deep clean. Most people like to go room by room, as this makes it easy to divide the whole-house cleaning across a few days. Some important cleaning tasks to include are: Pulling furniture away from the walls to clean behind it. Wiping down ceiling fan blades and vent covers. Washing your curtains  or window treatments. Cleaning light fixtures. Wiping down window sills. Changing your furnace and air conditioner filters. Wiping down baseboards and doorframes. 2. Re-Organize Your Closets How  m uch stuff has accumulated in your closet that you no longer use? Spend a day sorting through your c...

  St. Patrick’s Day is typically an occasion that calls for big parades and parties in the streets. But since most of us have still not received   vaccinations   against COVID-19, social distancing is still vital — which means this St. Paddy’s Day will feel a little different. There can still be plenty of fun, safe ways to celebrate the luck o’ the Irish! Here are a few ideas. 1. Plan a Camping Trip With the weather growing warmer,  t his is the perfect time to plan a camping trip. Buy some  sunscreen  at the pharmacy, as you can sunburn even when it’s cloudy. Bring along a  propane tank  and a small grill, and enjoy a weekend in the woods. Here are a few fun ways to work a St. Patrick’s Day theme into your camping trip: Have a contest to see who finds a 4-leaf clover first. Prepare a traditional Irish dish, like boiled cabbage and bacon, over the fire. Drink an Irish drink, like Guinness or Bailey’s, by the fire. 2. Have a Costume Party on Zoom H...

Like other parts of the country, the state of Massachusetts is preparing for another surge of COVID cases after the Christmas and New Year holidays. There will be further restrictions including higher capacity limits at restaurants, theaters, performance venues, personal services, casinos, offices, places of worship, retail, golf facilities, libraries, gyms and museums, etc. and new gathering limits at private homes outdoors and indoors.  With COVID fatigue, it is particularly difficult to fight the winter blues under these circumstances. Nonetheless, we should pick ourselves up, bundle up, and grab some sunshine and fresh air outside to cheer ourselves up! Don’t forget that there are plenty of heating options to make fun activities possible, such as patio heaters, hot tubs, outdoor fireplaces and fire pits. So stock up on firewood or  schedule for regular propane deliveries  so that you never run out. Here are some suggestions for fun outdoor activities for winter. Playi...