Month: October 2024

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Top Ten Tips For Camping While Pregnant

It is possible for you to be pregnant and still participate in many of the outdoor activities that you love. Camping is a great opportunity for you to get that much-needed exercise and relaxation that is required during pregnancy. As your pregnancy progresses, you should avoid any activity that puts you at risk for falling or increases the chance of trauma to your abdomen. As long as you stay safe and stay comfortable there is no reason why you cannot enjoy a camping trip. It just takes a little extra planning and preparation. Be sure to consult with your doctor before planning your trip. Your doctor will help you discern the amount of adventure your spirit will be safe to engage in. So get out your camping checklist and your camping preparation to-do list and be prepared to add some additions to both lists.

Tip #1: Be absolutely certain to visit a doctor before-hand.

Schedule an appointment with your doctor. Take along a list of activities you plan to do. Get a physical to ensure that you are in good health and so is your unborn baby. Ask if there are any other safety tips that the doctor can recommend.

Tip #2: Determine the closest medical facility to your camp.

Locate the nearest medical facility. Take a trip to the facility and determine a plan in case you do have an emergency.

Tip #3: Camp as close to the restrooms as possible.

It is a good idea to set up camp as close to the restrooms as possible. Taking frequent trips to empty your bladder is actually a common early sign of pregnancy, starting about six weeks into your first trimester. During pregnancy hormonal changes cause blood to flow more quickly through your kidneys, filling your bladder more often. A lot of extra fluid getting processed through the kidneys and pressure on your bladder from the growing fetus also contributes to urinary frequency. Morning sickness could also send you headed quickly toward the restrooms. Be sure to pack a robe and slippers or slips-ons for nighttime emergencies.

Tip #4: Bring an air mattress and lots of pillows.

Sleeping can be very difficult while pregnant no matter where you are. Be sure to invest in a nice air mattress. Bring body pillows and lots of other comfortable pillows. Bring sheets, extra blankets and a comforter. When pregnant avoid sleeping on your back. You want your sleeping experience to be as close to home as possible. If possible keep your normal sleeping schedule.

Tip #5: Stay cool mama.

Overheating is very dangerous for both mother and baby. Dealing with the heat can be one of the reasons that camping can get a little too uncomfortable for a pregnant woman. Stay cool by being prepared. Always bring ice. You can put it in your water, on your body or just eat it to cool down. It also helps to make ice bags wrapped in a piece of cotton. Put this on your head in case of a headache or to keep your body temperature down. Bring extra wash cloths or a small towel to get wet and drape over your neck if it gets too hot. Drink lots of ice water. Bring a battery operated hand-held fan. Fill a spray bottle with water or a mixture of two parts rosewater and one part plain water. Keep it in the cooler or next to an ice pack to keep in cold. Spray your face regularly to refresh and cool you down during the day and night.

Tip #6: Take it easy.

During pregnancy a woman becomes exhausted easily. Take lots of breaks. Do not hike more than one mile away from your car or camp. Be sure not to over exert yourself in any activity. You might need to take frequent naps. Relax and unwind. Bring a good book and some activities you can do while sitting at camp; such as crocheting, drawing or knitting.

Tip #7: Do not carry anything heavy.

Give gear to someone else to carry. If you have to strain at all it is too heavy. You need to be very careful about lifting too much weight, especially as pregnancy progresses. During pregnancy your joints become less stable and ligaments become looser. There is also risk of becoming dizzy or losing your balance easier, making the chances of a fall increase.

Tip #8: Bring supportive, comfortable shoes.

It is likely that you will be on your feet at some time while camping. Invest in a good, comfortable pair of shoes. Be sure to try them out before you leave to be sure that they keep you and your feet feeling like happy campers.

Tip #9: Stay hydrated.

Be sure to bring plenty of bottled water with you. Drink it through-out the day and often, especially while engaging in activity and during extreme heat. Dehydration is very dangerous for a fetus. Drink water anytime you feel dizzy, flushed or overheated.

Tip #10: Enjoy yourself.

Have fun! When you are happy and having fun so is baby. Go sight-seeing. Take up photography and take lots and lots of pictures. Enjoy writing in a journal or planning a scrapbook of your entire trip. Many women find that pregnancy makes them feel more creative, even poetic. Learn to make a baby blanket, booties or a hat while connecting your baby to nature in utero. Fishing can be very relaxing and fun too, especially if someone will cook and clean the fish for you. Short walks are a great way to get that much-needed exercise during pregnancy. Swimming is also an excellent way to get exercise and also help beat the heat. Remember to wear sunblock. Be sure to check with your doctor first before-hand to get the clear on your camping activities.

Closing Notes:

CONGRATULATIONS MOTHER-TO-BE! Wishing you and baby a life of laughter, love and miracles!

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DIY Tips for Using Caulk

If a bad caulk job bothers you, with these tips you can learn to run a smooth bead of caulk. With advice from some pros you’ll soon be caulking all your DIY projects like a pro.

“How do you get such a smooth bead of caulk?” This is a question I hear often. For me it seems almost second nature and I usually reply that it takes practice. But after talking with some pros that spend a lot of time caulking, a few techniques will cut your practice time. You can get good results right away.

Cut the caulk tube with care.

This is where your caulk job begins and can be doomed from the beginning. Cut the tip of the caulk tube with a utility knife at about a 45-degree angle. Keep your cut near the end to make a 1/8-in. diameter opening. Smoothing the tip with 100-grit sandpaper, this will give you a smoother finish caulk job.

The biggest mistake you could make is to cut too much off of the tip of the caulk tube. You want the hole in your tube to be about two-thirds the width of the desired caulk joint. Most caulking jobs should only require a narrow bead. If you’re caulking molding to prepare it for paint, start with the opening very small, just over 1/16 in. diameter. To caulk your tub, a 1/8-in. diameter hole is usually about right. Some caulk tubes need to be punched in order to start the flow of caulk. Use a thin wire like a scrap electrical wire or coat hanger to avoid enlarging the hole at the tip.

To apply a smooth bead of caulk that’s just the right size, you have to find the balance between squeezing the handle and application speed. The trick is to keep squeezing constant and vary the speed according to the size of the joint. Keep the caulk gun moving at the same angle and fill the joint as you go, don’t worry if you leave a gap. You can fill this gap in the second pass, this is better than to clean up excess caulk from going too slow.

When you get to the end, release pressure and quickly lift the tip from the surface. Clean the tip before you start a new bead.

Smooth the bead with a wet finger tip using light pressure. Wipe the excess caulk off your finger tip with a damp cloth.

Smoothing not only makes the caulk look good-it ensures good adhesion on each side of the gap. The tip of your finger is all you need, no special tools required. Wet your finger with water for latex caulk.

Silicone caulk requires a little more effort, wear a tight-fitting latex or vinyl glove and wet the fingertip with denatured alcohol. Take care to keep your beads of silicone and urethane caulk slim to make smoothing easier. If you get much excess, they’re hard to clean up and can get really messy. Use paper towels, so you can use a new piece every time you wipe off your finger.

These tips should make your DIY projects easier when caulking is required to finish the project.

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Save Money With Printable Restaurant Coupons

It is wise to be frugal in these economically trying times, but sometimes it is fun to try a new place for dinner simply because you deserve a treat. The same goes for getting a little pampering in the spa, going to a museum, buying new gadgets; practically anything your mother would consider impractical. But there is a way to get all these perks for a much lower price, and we’re talking about the hero of consumers and upstart restaurants alike: printable restaurant coupons.

Groupon is a collective coupon website, where a certain number of people have to sign up for an offer up until the numbers reach a critical mass or “tipping point” so everyone can get the deal. Group buying deals can start for as low 50% and can go up to an astounding low of 70 to 80%, virtually unheard of until now. But not everyone is a fan of printable restaurant coupons and their ilk.

Coupons Are Not The Enemy!

There was a time when coupons were delegated to a page in the newspaper, easily ignorable, but now they have also invaded our emails and favorite websites. We can hardly open a web page these days without needing to close one of those annoying floating coupons and special deals that pop up obnoxiously over the text. No place is safe; they even try to reach us through SMS! But what’s really annoying about them is that they try to reach us at a time when we don’t want to be bothered by ads. But we DO need these printable restaurant coupons, we DO need a discount on toilet paper, sometimes we can’t resist the special markdown on pumps, but we DEFINITELY need that discount on pedicures – So basically, we just want to see coupons on things that we want and need. And hopefully, something that offers more than fifty cents off.

Coupons Are Your Friend!

Enter Groupon, assuring customers of substantial discounts (on the things we actually want) on the premise that there is power in numbers. If there are numbers to back it up, the merchant and the customer create a powerful agglomeration where both can walk away satisfied. It is democracy in the mercantilist sense, so it can only happen if Grupon users make the deal worth the business’s while. It also works best through word-of-mouth: for example, if you get your friends in on the low deals and they click on it too, the higher the chances become of you getting that big discount on the printable restaurant coupon.

Treat Yourself To A Great Night Out!

Groupon is the best reason to hold up on that shopping spree or activity you’ve been meaning to treat yourself to. By checking on the deals du jour every morning on the Groupon website in your area, you immediately know where you can stretch the power of your hard-earned money. Life’s too short not to experience the things that make it fascinating, relevant, beautiful and yummy. So go ahead and eat at the Zagat-rated Japanese sushi bar, you need only pay half what you eat because of your printable restaurant coupon.