“Don’t let the sun catch you crying.”
Gerry and the Pacemakers, Don’t Let The Sun Catch You Crying
Culture Creation
Focus on building a positive workplace culture is at the forefront of many business decisions as more and more employers are realizing they need to take care of their biggest asset, their employees. Creating a more positive culture and environment for employees is a process that cannot and will not happen overnight. So what’s the best way for employers to start? By empowering their people. By definition empowerment means “to give official authority or power to someone.” Of course it’s not suggested that employers forfeit all control and authority, however, but by empowering employees with more decision making and responsibility they can actually increase employee productivity and help to create a shift toward a more positive culture. The following from Forbes has more on this shift toward creating a people focussed place of work.
Forbes: 4 Ways To Build A Workplace Culture That Empowers People
Inspired
credit: www.brainyquote.com
How Do You Like Them Apples?
It’s fall and the local orchards are full of apple trees with delicious fruit ripe for the picking. And you know what they say… “an apple a day keeps the doctor away.” Apples are packed full of nutrition as they provide a healthy dose of fiber, vitamin C and disease fighting antioxidants. Check out more of the health benefits of apples from Best Health Magazine.
Best Health Magazine: 15 Health Benefits of Eating Apples
What’s the best way to enjoy these delicious and healthy fruits? Any way! Apples can be a great snack, dessert or addition to a salad. Try some of these tasty recipe ideas from Canadian Living and enjoy all that apple season has to offer!
Inspired
I am not afraid of storms, for I am learning how to sail my ship.
Louisa May Alcott
Kitchen Safety – Hidden Hazards
Julie Entwistle, MBA, BHSc (OT), BSc (Health / Gerontology)
I think I spend about three hours a day in my kitchen. Just when I get a meal or snack prepared, served and cleaned-up, it seems to be time to eat again. I guess that is the norm for busy families that are constantly on the go.
Yet, while the kitchen is one of the most lived-in rooms in the house, there are many hazards here that are often overlooked. These hazards can result in illness or injury if not addressed. For example, did you know that the dish cloth or sponge is the most dangerous item in your kitchen? That a child’s shirt can catch on fire while stirring something on a gas stove? That there are all sorts of bacteria (including fecal matter) on the rinds of lemons and limes (but we squeeze these and throw them in our drink!).
My blog today is going to highlight some of the under-estimated hazards in the kitchen, including:
1. Dirty Dish Sponges: Did you know that a dirty dish sponge can harbour and spread disease-causing bacteria? A study completed at the University of Arizona detected salmonella in 15% of sponges that were examined. As we age, it becomes more difficult for our bodies to fight off disease, making it important to be aware of how bacteria spreads and how to prevent it. A simple way to get rid of bacteria on sponges is to wet the sponge and zap it in the microwave for about one minute. Or for dish cloths, rotate and wash these regularly using bleach if available.
2. Cross-contamination of food: Ensure to thoroughly wash your hands, surfaces, and utensils after handling meat, poultry, or seafood to avoid spreading bacteria. Keep two cutting boards – one for meat products, and one for other food items. Purchasing cutting boards in different colours or labelling them can make it easier to discriminate between the two. Considering putting your cutting boards in the dishwasher after use to increase sanitation.
3. Spoiled Food and Storing Leftovers: Never leave raw meat, poultry, seafood or leftovers on the counter for longer than two hours. If defrosting food, defrost in the refrigerator or immerse in cold water. When storing food in the fridge, the temperature should be set to 4° C (40°F) or lower and your freezer at -18°C (0° F) or lower to avoid growth of bacteria. Ensure to keep meat, poultry, and seafood in sealed bags separate from the rest of your food items. The best place for these items is on the bottom shelf, so that juices can’t drip onto other food. If you are storing leftovers, use labels to record when each product was prepared. General guidelines for storing items in the fridge are as follows:
• Bacon: 1 week
• Lunch meat: 3-5 days
• Fresh beef, veal, lamb, and pork: 3-5 days
• Cooked meat, poultry, pizza, stews: 3-4 days
• Fresh poultry, ground meats, or raw sausage: 1-2 days
Go through your fridge weekly to throw out anything outdated or questionable. Always remember – when in doubt, throw it out!
4. Forgetting to Turn-off the Oven or Stovetop: This is extremely dangerous and can lead to fires or burns. To avoid this, stay close to anything cooking and use a timer or alarm. If you worry about forgetting to turn things off, consider using a visual checklist to remind you to check the stove. Place this at the exit to your kitchen, or post it at the door you use to leave your home. If you must leave the kitchen area while cooking for any reason (e.g. to answer the phone or the door), wear an oven mitt or carry a kitchen utensil with you to serve as a visual reminder to return to the kitchen as soon as you can. If using the oven, always wear long sleeved oven mitts to avoid burns. Alternatively, slow cookers are an easy and safe substitute to using the stovetop when preparing meals.
5. Supervise Children. Getting children involved in cooking and baking is a great way to increase their willingness to try new foods, and teaches them valuable life skills. But as with all things involving children, close supervision is mandatory. A child standing on a stool to stir something on the stove can lose their balance falling onto the burners and loose clothing can catch on fire. All knives (dull, sharp, large or small) can be difficult for children’s coordination, and small hands may have a hard time lifting heavier and hot baking pans. Even using a knife to get a piece of toast from a plugged in toaster is dangerous. So, supervise children in the kitchen and teach them the safe and proper way to prepare food and work around kitchen tools and appliances.
Although this is not an exhaustive list of kitchen safety hazards, the above are some of the most common and the easiest to avoid. Of course, there are other kitchen safety hazards that are created when people have physical, cognitive, emotional or behavioral disabilities. But the good news is there are many aids, devices and strategies that can help people to improve their independence and safety during meal tasks. Consider consulting an occupational therapist for suggestions on ways to be successful in the kitchen.
References:
1) http://www.chow.com/food-news/54707/10-kitchen-hazards/
2) http://healthycanadians.gc.ca/eating-nutrition/safety-salubrite/safety_home-maison_salubrite-eng.php#Refridgerator
3) http://www.foodsafety.gov/keep/charts/storagetimes.html
Weekly Mind Bender
Can you solve the following?
T M C
A U O
H S M
W T E
What goes up, must come down.
Laughter Therapy
Back to…A Better Bottom Line
The “lazy days” of summer are over, vacations are done, the kids are back to school, and it’s time to get back to routine. As a mom of four, believe me that I understand the stress of September and how parents can easily lose themselves with the focus on getting the kids back to a manageable routine. So, this September, we wanted to provide a series of ideas and strategies to make sure you are going “back to school” while also getting “back to you!”
We’ve shown you ways to get back to a healthier mind, fitness and healthy meals. This week, we turn the focus to your finances. Summer tends to be a time for splurging on vacations, day trips, dining out and other things that can add up. Expenses like increased child care and the cost of day camps can also throw your budget out of whack. Taking an hour or two to sit down and look at your finances is a great activity to do now as your summer spending has subsided and you start to prepare for the upcoming holiday season.
Here are 5 tips to help you get back to a better bottom line:
1. Set Goals: It’s extremely important to have financial goals! Without a goal there’s nothing to concrete to work towards. Categorize your main goals into short term (immediate – 2 years) and long term (5-10) years. If you know you want to take a vacation each year, figure out the cost and how you will save for this. Or if you want to be debt free in 5 years, figure out how much you need to pay down each month to make it happen.
2. Assess the Situation: It’s impossible to know how to you can reach your financial goals if you don’t know what is going on. It’s important to examine your finances each month. Create a statement of net worth looking at your assets and liabilities and track your monthly spending. Using a service like Quickbooks or Mint.com can simplify this process for you! This will also help you to address wrong bill charges or credit card mistakes quickly to prevent unnecessary charges from accumulating.
3. Create a Monthly Budget: Creating a budget based on your income vs. fixed and variable expenses is important. Fixed expenses include things like mortgage or rent, taxes, utilities and bills that occur every month. Variable expenses include things like clothing purchases, gifts and entertainment.
4. Compare: After a month, compare your projected budgeted spending to your actual spending and see where any discrepancies lie. You may find out that many of the things you are purchasing can really add up!
5. Change your Habits: If you find after all your assessing that you are spending more than you are making, or that you are not saving as much as you’d like, it’s time to make some change. Look first to your variable expenses and assess where you can cut back. Do you really need that coffee you buy each day or could you save by brewing your own? Why are you paying so much for cable when you don’t watch half of the stations available? Can your cell phone bill be lowered? Is there a cheaper store where you can buy your groceries? There are always options to lower your expenses, but you need to know what your expenses are to make some decisions!
Often, to make positive changes to your financial state, you may have to make tough choices and ultimately give up something you enjoy. We recommend enlisting the help of a financial advisor who can help you to plan, budget and reach the goals you set.
Inspired
Take a look at the inspirational story of Jennifer Bricker, a girl born without legs who doesn’t know the word “can’t.”