Can’t shake the sniffles? Tips to Help as the Winter and Flu Season Lingers

February 24, 2014

By: Sarah Boha

If you’ve grown tired of the eternal winter that has plagued the Northeastern United States; you’re probably sick of the cold and flu that’s lingering with the frosty temperatures.  If you’re feeling those flu like symptoms coming on or you’re in need of relief, there are natural ways to alleviate or prevent sickness.

Breathe aromatic steam: Fill the bathroom or kitchen sink with steaming water, and add two teaspoons chopped fresh ginger (Zingiber officinalis). Drape a towel over your head and lean over the steam to get maximum benefit. Or add one teaspoon of the over-the-counter ointment Vicks VapoRub® to the steaming water, then breathe in the steam for several minutes until you get relief. Another flu remedy is to add a few drops of oil of eucalyptus (Eucalyptus globulus) or menthol to the water. Eucalyptus is known to open up bronchial tubes, ease congestion, and make breathing easier.

http://www.webmd.com/cold-and-flu/flu-guide/home-remedies-for-fast-flu-relief

Humidify Your Home: As the temperatures dip, your thermostat rises.  Artificial heat lowers humidity in your home which replicates the conditions of a Petri dish where the flu virus can thrive.  Add moisture to your home by using a warm or cool mist humidifier. 

http://health.howstuffworks.com/wellness/natural-medicine/home-remedies/home-remedies-for-the-flu4.htm

Honey:  Not only delicious in your cup of tea, but a sweetener with antibacterial and antimicrobial properties.  Honey can be used preventatively to strengthen your immune system and keep you feeling energetic with a daily dose.  If you unfortunately catch the flu it can also be used to sooth your sore throat.  Dr. Oz recommends gargling with honey (and lemon) in salt water when the mixture is at room temperature. (Do not give honey to children under 1 year of age.)

http://www.doctoroz.com/blog/donna-cardillo-rn-ma/cold-and-flu-home-remedies

Elderberry:  An herb that has been tied to folk remedies for colds, Elderberry is correlated with fighting off the flu virus in preliminary lab studies.  Researchers believe that anthocyanins, compounds found naturally in elderberries, may be the active component that strengthens the immune system and blocks the flu virus from sticking to our cells.

http://altmedicine.about.com/od/coldsandflu/a/fluremedy.htm

Tried and true, chicken soup, crashing on the couch and drinking plenty of fluids are still the top recommended suggestions to remedy the symptoms.  If you’re sick or feeling a scratchy throat coming on, put some honey in your tea and get plenty of rest.  As William Shakespeare once said about winter’s snow, winds and temperature (if we read it in a literal sense) in the poem ‘Blow, blow, thou Winter Wind’ from As You Like It, “thy breathe be rude”; This Winter of 2014 has been beyond “rude” in leaving residents with a snowy mess and overstaying it’s welcome.  Spring will be upon us soon and winter will leave, hopefully taking with it the incorrigible flu.  

Fees: What You Should and Should not Pay in a Real Estate Transaction

February 17, 2014
By: Sarah Boha

Have you ever reached the end of dinner with a group of friends and wondered, “Should I pay for this”?  The aforementioned circumstance ponders the etiquette of paying a check at dinner.  In the buying and selling of real estate, you don’t have to wonder who foots the bill for commissions, the home inspection and appraisal, if you familiarize yourself with an agreement of sale, buyer’s agency contract and the HUD 1 settlement statement form.  Regardless of whether you’re currently considering buying or selling real estate or if you have bought and sold a home in the past; it is imperative to know your rights as a consumer to be aware of what you should and should not pay or be obligated to pay on either side of the transaction.   

For the Seller

The seller of real estate will pay the listing and buyer’s agent commission.  As negotiated into the agreement of sale, the commission is represented as a percentage of the agreed price of the home and shared between the listing and buyer’s agent.  Make note, the commission of a real estate agent in the state of Pennsylvania is negotiable.  Sellers may also have to pay the balance of their property taxes if they haven’t already done so.  

For the Buyer

The buyer of real estate will incur fees mostly in association with their mortgage.  Once they find the home most suited for them, buyers should expect to pay for the following common closing costs; an appraisal of the property, a home inspection (if the buyer does not waive), pest inspection (if they buyer does not waive), title insurance, down payment, loan origination, property tax escrow, deed recording, private mortgage insurance (if needed). 

Buyers and Sellers, Be on the Lookout

As mentioned above, these anticipated fees respectively for buyers and sellers are the most common.  Both buyers and sellers should be leery of “administrative fees” or “flat rate commission fees” on top of an already agreed upon commission.  Unless, the agent discloses how the added fee is being used, they can’t legally charge you -- Remember, commissions are always negotiable.  If as a consumer you feel you may be pressured into paying a fee that is not directly tied to the services you’re receiving and the purpose of the fees aren’t being completely disclosed to you; it is your right to question it.  Added fees also need to be disclosed in section 700 of the HUD 1 Settlement Statement.

Buying a home should be an exciting life event and selling your home should be a smooth process with the right agent.  Be a wise consumer, ask questions and never sign a contract until all fees and practices are explained completely to your understanding.  

Share the Love; Shop Local

February 10, 2014
By: Sarah Boha

Have you found the perfect present for your sweetie this Valentine’s Day?  Don’t worry, you still have time with plenty of options that support your local businesses and who doesn’t love that?  Whether you’re looking for a diamond engagement ring to a dozen of the freshest hand dipped chocolate strawberries, there are plenty of choices in the Central Pennsylvania area. 

If your Valentine has a sweet tooth, look no further than Gardner’s Candies.  This candy store has been satisfying sweet tooth’s since 1897 and with 10 locations to patronize, including a new location in the TJ Maxx Plaza in State College, there is no shortage of candy to go around in the Centre region.  Gardner’s is boasting hand dipped chocolate covered strawberries enveloped in the famous Gardner’s chocolate.  For guaranteed freshness, the candy makers will be waking up extra early to hand dip each berry on Valentine’s Day, Friday, February 14^th.  The chocolate covered strawberries will be available in strictly milk chocolate, an assortment of dark and milk chocolate and purely dark chocolate and you can secure your in store pick up by calling ahead.

I’m not going to go with the cliché, “diamonds are a girl’s best friend”, but at Kranich’s Jewelers you can find a whole cohort of her favorite confidents!  With diamond heart pendants starting at $99, you’ll have no lack of choices for even the pickiest of jewelry lovers.  With commercials for the latest jewelry trend, “Heartbeat Diamond Jewelry”, she may have mentioned that she wants the flickering diamond that captures brilliance with every beat of her heart – sounds romantic right?  You can find the whole collection at any one of Kranich’s four locations and preview the styles on their website. 

Heartbeat Diamond Jewelry starts at only $199 at Kranich’s Jewelers

I’ve always had a great experience at Woodring’s Floral Gardens located on S. Allen Street in State College and for that reason, I recommend them if you’re planning on surprising your date with flowers this Valentine’s Day.  With a wide variety of fresh flowers, Woodring’s Floral Gardens can assemble the perfect bouquet and have a full array of delivery options and three locations on their website.  This shop has always impressed me over the years, with floral arrangements meticulously displayed outside the shop and a boutique feel that reflects a warm and personal touch.

Perhaps your love has it all and you’re struggling to determine what to gift the woman or man who has everything.  With THON weekend commencing on February 21^st, a donation toward the four diamond fund is a philanthropic gift going toward a very worthy cause.  To know that your donation will help the fight against pediatric cancer may be the best gift yet.  To make a donation, log onto THON’s website and click on the donate tab.  Know someone dancing in THON?  You have the choice of donating toward a specific THON dancer’s effort or you may donate to the general THON fund.

This Valentine’s Day, I implore you to find a gift by shopping local businesses or supporting causes unique to the area.  There are many wonderful businesses local to the area, whether you’re presenting the more traditional gift of candy, flowers and jewelry or shower your Valentine with Penn State gear from Old State Clothing Co., you’ll have plenty of ways to share the love by staying close to home.  What are some of your favorite local businesses in the Central Pennsylvania area?

Here are the links to shop your favorite local businesses –

https://www.gardnerscandies.com/Default.aspx

http://www.woodringsfloral.com/

www.oldstate.com

To donate to THON visit -- https://thon.org/  Select the DONATE NOW tab

Super Bust, Motivation for your Monday

February 3, 2014
By: Sarah Boha

With six more weeks of winter and a Super Bowl game that felt more like watching college football; you may need some motivation to kick off your Monday!  Here’s some good news to make your week a little better. 

Drink your morning coffee

According to Harvard School of Public Health, research over the past few years suggests that drinkers of coffee were correlated with protection against type 2 diabetes, Parkinson’s disease, liver cancer, and liver cirrhosis.  The latest studies on coffee and mortality found that people who regularly drank coffee actually had a somewhat lower risk of death from cardiovascular disease than those who rarely drank coffee; this result needs to be confirmed in further studies, however…or as my college professors would say, “Correlation does not mean causation”.  I say, go ahead and order that caramel macchiato.   For more information on coffee and February’s American Heart Month, see, http://www.hsph.harvard.edu/nutritionsource/coffee/ and http://www.heart.org/HEARTORG/

Plan out and visualize your week with helpful tools

It’s proven, the successful take a few moments out of their day, whether it’s the beginning of the week or early in the morning, to map out their schedule.  Make a list of what you need to accomplish in your day and check it off as you tackle each task.  Plan your outfits the night before or for the entire month; with apps like NetRobe or StyleBookApp, you can inventory your current wardrobe and schedule what you’ll wear everyday on a calendar – never wear the same outfit twice in one week again!  Also, make a list of things to look forward to over the weekend or throughout the week, it will give you a greater motivation for your work.

Take time to exercise, even at work

Ever have a work week so jam packed that you can’t make it to the gym?  Not a problem.  Exercise in the office by doing lunges or simple stretches from your desk chair.  Don’t typically work out or get bored with the gym routine?  Change up your workout this week by trying something new, mixed martial arts, dance and yoga are an interesting change of pace to lifting weights.  Try a class at Central PA Mixed Martial Arts in State College, http://www.cpamma.com/

Smile

Research in several psychology studies show that smiling, even when you force a smile, boosts your endorphins.  Smiling releases serotonin and works with the neuropeptides in the brain to relax the body and lower your blood pressure.  Not to mention that it makes you look great, in a 2011 study by researchers at the Face Research Laboratory at the University of Aberdeen, subjects were asked to rate attractiveness and smiling.  They found that both men and women were more attracted to people who wore a smile as opposed to subjects that did not.   

So if you were rooting for the Broncos or you’re not coming to terms with six more weeks of winter or both, shake off the negative and get a great start to your week.   Motivation doesn’t have to be hard, take simple steps to make your life easier, more organized and healthy.  In dedicating a few minutes to enjoying that first sip of coffee in the morning, visualizing your week or getting a stretch in between typing up that contract at work, you may find yourself with a more productive week.