Cleaning Is As Bad For You As Smoking A Pack A Day
Put down those cleaning products because science says cleaning your house is bad for your health. Get this - researchers warn that it’s as bad for your lungs as smoking 20 cigarettes a day for 20 years.
Breathing in the chemicals in cleaning products raises the risk for asthma by 43% and scientists say they damage to the lining of the airways and can affect the way they work long-term. Those facing the biggest risk are professional cleaners and women, but somehow men seem to be unaffected.
“Cleaning chemicals very likely cause substantial lung damage,” explains Oistein Svanes from Bergen University in Norway. “Think of particles from cleansers meant for floors, not lungs, and maybe it’s no surprise.”
And as great as it would be to use this research as an excuse to give up cleaning our homes, most of us don’t want to live in filth. So scientists suggest swapping the cleaning chemicals for microfiber cloths and water to clean instead.
Source: Whimn
The Tech Trick That Helps You Be More Productive
Getting anything done during the day can be a real chore. There are so many things that can distract us before we’ve even gotten a chance to get started, and then the distractions stick around until we’re well into working on our projects. This means something that could have taken a couple hours ends up taking all day.
Have you ever put your gadgets on “Do Not Disturb?” Most people do it at night so they’re not woken up by a slew of text messages from needy friends. But you can actually put it on during the day and boost your productivity. Without all of those notifications coming up to steal you away from your work, you’ll have more time to really get in the zone with what you’re doing.
Just remember to turn your notifications back on when you’re done! Don’t want to miss anything important!
Source: Life Hacker
NATIONAL LOVE YOUR PET DAY – NATIONAL CHERRY PIE DAY
Signs A Marriage Is Doomed, According To Wedding Photographers
When a couple gets married, it’s doubtful either the bride or groom thinks that at some point their marriage is going to end, but it turns out there’s at least one person at the wedding who can tell right away if the couple has staying power – the photographer.
There’s no doubt wedding photographers have seen it all, and since they spend a lot of time getting to know a couple before the big day many can see the signs of a doomed relationship before the “I Dos” are even said.
Well, some photographers have now shared the red flags that tell them a couple may be headed for divorce, so if you’re worried about the strength of your bond, you may want to pay attention.
Red flags include:
- One of the partners is completely uninterested in photographs – Even if one member of a couple doesn’t like being photographed, they usually participate freely to make their partner happy, but that isn’t always the case, and not caring about your partner’s needs and wants is a definitely sign of trouble.
- The couple has more than a 20% rejection rate on their RSVPs – It’s normal to have between 10 and 15% of guests turn down your invitation, but one photographer notes that if it goes above 20 to 25%, “It’s a telltale sign that your friends and family know that the couple is never going to work out!”
- The chemistry feels forced – Some photographers notice instances where one member of the couple “overcompensates” for their partner, and seems more interested in the perfect picture for social media, or recreating something they saw on Pinterest than having photos that capture their natural chemistry.
- There’s infighting among the bridal party – Too much drama between members of the bridal party can be a bad sign for a supposedly happy couple.
- The couple isn’t on the same page about finances – If one member of the couple wants to spend way more money than the other there’s a good shot things won’t last. As one photographer notes, “Money is an important factor in all marriages and often plays a part in why they fail.”
- The couple makes sarcastic digs at each other while taking photos – Couples who bicker and fight throughout their wedding day, even if they claim they’re only joking, are headed for trouble, because, “there’s usually some truth behind each did or joking statement.”
- The relationship seems built on physical attraction alone – Couples who seem overly affectionate could be overcompensating for lack of an emotional attraction, which could lead to unhappiness down the line.
- The couple hardly spends any time together at the reception – Sure there are a lot of guests to welcome during a reception, but if a couple spends barely any time together during the party that’s not good. Explained one photographer, “I have photographed an entire reception and only captured a handful of images of the couple together ― that’s a very bad sign.”
Source: Huffington Post
Chicken Shortage Closes KFC’s Across Britain
Many KFC lovers in Britain had their feathers ruffled after a chicken shortage forced most of the chain's 900 stores to close. KFC apologized for the inconvenience blaming its delivery partner DHL for the mess.
“We know that this might have inconvenienced some of you over the last few days, and disappointed you when you wanted your fried chicken fix, we’re really sorry about that,” said KFC.
DHL says that, “due to operational issues a number of deliveries in recent days have been incomplete or delayed.” As of yesterday, 300 of the stores are open with a limited menu or cut hours of operation.
Source: AP News
The Controversial Organizing Method You Need
Keeping our stuff together is hard to do when we have so many other things to do. But there’s away around it – and it’s pretty controversial. Why? Because it involves getting rid of MOST of your belongings. According to Japanese cleaning guru Maria Kondo, getting rid of your things is the key to staying organized. Here’s how to start:
- Reduce the number of clothes you have.
- Get rid of papers in the office.
- Store belongings vertically.
- Store smaller items in compartments.
- Use small containers.
- Say goodbye to your books.
- Get rid of most of the products in your bathroom.
- Keep your entryways tidy.
Getting your clean on is not something anyone’s every really pumped up to do. But if we have less stuff to begin with, there will be less to keep clean all the time.
Source: PopSugar
Do Flyers Want To Talk To Other Passengers?
Unless you are super rich and can afford to rent out a private jet, you’re going to be seated next to someone when you fly, and there’s no doubt your seatmate can play a big role in whether or not that trip is a pleasant one. These days a lot of folks probably just go about their business and keep to themselves on a flight, but is it actually okay to talk to the person sitting next to you on a flight? Well, according to a new survey, the answer is…maybe.
A new British Airways poll of 1,500 travelers from the U.S., UK, Germany, France and Italy finds that 83% of travelers believe saying hello and smiling at the person next to you on a flight is totally acceptable and appropriate, but whether to go farther than that is a different story.
For U.S. travelers, 42% find it unacceptable to talk about personal stories with a seatmate. But there are some travelers who are totally okay with chatting on a flight. In fact, 80% of Italian travelers say small talk is totally okay on a flight, while half of French travelers think flights are great places to meet new friends.
Now if you get roped into a conversation you don’t want to be having, there are some polite ways to end it. Folks in the U.S. think it’s okay to politely thank the person and then put on headphones, while UK travelers suggest getting up to use the bathroom can quickly end the conversation. Of course, there are times when conversations get very uncomfortable, and in those instances, 53% of travelers say it’s totally okay to switch seats, as long as the cabin crew approves.
Source: Fox News
*LIST* Nostalgic Treats Making A Comeback
When Hostess tried to bring back their Suzy Q’s in 2016 after discontinuing those cream-filled chocolate sandwiches in 2012, they tried to upgrade them and fans weren’t happy. But Suzy Q lovers are getting another chance because those snack cakes are back on store shelves and they’re back to the original style, but with 50% more cream and cake.
And Suzy Q’s aren’t the only retro snack making a comeback thanks to popular demand. Here are some of our other favorite sweet returns.
- Oreo O’s Cereal - The beloved cookie cereal returned to store shelves with the original recipe last summer.
- French Toast Crunch - Fans of the maple-flavored cereal were sad to see it go when it was discontinued in 2006, but since it’s return it comes in Apple Cinnamon, Strawberry, and Blueberry flavors, too.
- Twix Peanut Butter and Twix White Chocolate - Not only did they launch Dark Chocolate Twix last August, Peanut Butter and White Chocolate varieties made a comeback as well.
- Crispy M&Ms - The 10 years of calls, petitions, and Facebook posts from fans made a difference and in 2014, Mars announced the return of Crispy M&Ms.
- Twinkies - They were originally pulled from stores in November 2012, but the golden snack cake makes its comeback the next year with an extended shelf life of 45 days.
Source: Real Simple
Should Male Circumcision Be Banned?
Iceland could become the first country in Europe to ban male circumcision, prompting criticism from religious groups about the ritual practiced in both Judaism and Islam. The legislation being debated by Iceland's Parliament would impose a six-year jail term on anyone who "removes part or all of (a child's) sexual organs" for non-medical reasons. "It's an attack on freedom of religion," Ahmad Seddeeq, the Egyptian-born imam of the Islamic Cultural Center of Iceland, said Monday.
- Ladies, do you prefer a guy who has his pencil sharpened?
Link: https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/2018/02/19/iceland