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10/24/2023

Let's come together to celebrate World Polio Day on October 24! This day was created in 1988 by the Global Polio Eradication Initiative, and it is celebrated around the world. It serves as a reminder of how far we have come in fighting against polio since then. While there are still cases of this devastating disease, progress has been made toward its eradication through prevention and immunization initiatives.

How to Celebrate World Polio Day:
1. Donate to organizations fighting polio.
Donate to the World Health Organization or another organization dedicated to fighting polio and helping those affected by it.

2. Participate in a fundraising event.
Organize a 5k, bake sale, or other fundraising event and donate the proceeds to an organization fighting against polio.

3. Share information about polio.
Share articles, blogs, and videos about polio on social media platforms, or create your content to spread awareness of the disease.

4. Volunteer with an organization.
Find a local organization that works towards eradicating polio and volunteer with them. This could involve helping out at vaccination clinics or spreading awareness about the disease in your community.

5. Write letters to your legislators.
Write letters to your local and national legislators to urge them to support efforts for global polio eradication.

Why World Polio Day is Important:
A. World Polio Day raises awareness of the disease.
Raising awareness about polio is important for people to understand both its history and current effects. World Polio Day serves as a reminder of the importance of vaccinations in the prevention of this terrible disease, and how we can help eradicate it through global immunization efforts.

B. It celebrates progress towards eradication.
Since 1988, thanks to widespread collaboration among governments, international organizations, civil society, philanthropies, and individuals, we have seen great progress in the effort to eradicate polio. World Polio Day serves as an opportunity to celebrate our collective successes in fighting this disease as well as plan further strategies for eliminating it from the face of the Earth.

C. It helps raise funds for vaccine networks.
Organizations like Rotary International are instrumental in providing financial support to vaccination networks around the world which allow us to get closer to our goal of global eradication. World Polio Day also serves as an opportunity for communities all around the planet to come together and raise money for these networks so that more children can be protected from this debilitating disease.

10/23/2023

3 Ways to Create “Quality Time” with Your Grandkids

In most relationships, you can't make up for lost time.

You see this with parents who were absent or made big mistakes. They feel guilty and want to make things right, so they overdo it with wild extravaganzas for their kids.

It's similar to some grandparents. Maybe you've made mistakes as a parent, and you're trying to be a better grandparent. Or you don't see your grandkids very often, and you want to make sure they like you and feel special. Too often, that leads to going overboard and spoiling them like crazy. Maybe you take them on vacations to incredible places spend a day at an amusement park or go to sporting events. You think incredible experiences together are the path to a better relationship. And those can be beneficial in some cases.

The desire to connect more with your grandkids is a good thing, but usually, a better approach is steady, consistent, positive day-to-day interactions.

I hope you view every moment with a grandchild as a chance for quality time. If you're really present with them, really paying attention and investing yourself, then reading a book or doing a puzzle, watching a sunset, or even talking on the phone can be fantastic bonding times with your grands.

Whenever you're with your grandchildren, that's a valuable opportunity you probably don't get every day. Just like with your own children, they grow up and change faster than you realize.

To get more practical, here are three ways to build a stronger bond with your grandkids. (And I'm sure many of you already do some of these.)

When you see or interact with your grandchild, make sure the first thing you say is positive. A word of blessing or encouragement can set the tone and create positive expectations. (Of course, the last words from you should be positive as well.)
Engage your grandchildren in their areas of interest—not yours or those of other family members. This is a great way to build your own unique relationship and make your grandchild feel special for who he or she is.
Verbalize your commitment to them, and then make every effort to keep your promises and not get sidetracked by other interests.
See, even during everyday interactions, if you're fully engaged, you can make all kinds of moments incredible.

10/23/2023

The Biggest Mistakes You Need To Avoid With Pasta
There's nothing quite like pasta. From macaroni and cheese to spaghetti bolognese, there's a pasta dish for everyone and almost as many ways to prepare it. Thomas Jefferson was so impressed with macaroni that he brought it to the U.S. during one of his trips to Europe. When Italian immigrants made their way to the country, pasta became a staple in many kitchens, and it is as popular today as it always has been (via PBS).

The great thing about pasta is that you can whip up a meal most of the time within just a few minutes. For those instances when you don't have a lot of time or energy, pasta can be a lifesaver. But as easy as cooking pasta can be, sometimes pasta doesn't turn out just right, leaving you wondering what you did wrong. To help, we've combed the internet and found the biggest mistakes you might be making when cooking pasta.

Using a pot that is too small.
While you might be tempted to cook pasta in a small pot to save time, Southern Living recommends that you shouldn't for a few reasons. For starters, when you add pasta to a small amount of boiling water, it cools down the water, which means it will be sitting in warm (not boiling) water for too long. The result may leave you with pasta pieces that stick together.

In addition to plenty of water, pasta needs space to properly cook. If your pot is too small, you'll end up with the same problem as not enough water — pasta clumping together. The Spruce Eats recommends that for each pound of pasta, your pot should hold anywhere from six to eight quarts of water, and you should be able to fill it ¾ full of water to give pasta the space it needs to cook.

Not using enough water.
Even if you use the right-size pot, you still need to make sure you use enough water to avoid pasta sticking together. Eating Well explains that pasta needs more water than most people think to cook. The amount of water you use to cook pasta serves two purposes. For one, it gives each pasta piece plenty of room in the pot, which means they won't be bumping each other and clumping together. Secondly, plenty of water means that the starch released by the pasta will stay in the water rather than cling to the pieces.

You want some starch on the pasta, but not too much. Too much starch on the pasta makes it sticky, which can also make the pasta pieces cling to one another in chunks. For the best results, you will need at least 2½ quarts of water to cook 8 ounces of pasta.

Adding oil to the water.
You may be familiar with the idea of adding oil to pasta water to keep the water from boiling over or to prevent pasta from sticking together. But, according to Reader's Digest, you should never do this, and the reason comes down to science. Simply put, water and oil do not mix. When you add oil to the water, most of it is going to stick to the pasta, which means you'll end up with slippery noodles.

You might not think that a little bit of oil on your pasta is bad, but adding this ingredient makes it difficult for the sauce to stick to the pasta. You can eliminate the need for any oil by using enough water in a pot that gives it plenty of room to move. Stirring the pasta as soon as you put it in the boiling water will also prevent the noodles from sticking together.

Adding pasta to the water too soon.
We've all been there: waiting for water to boil. When you see small bubbles forming at the bottom of the pot, you may think that the water is close enough to boiling that it won't matter. But the truth is, while it might not seem like a minute would make much of a difference when it comes to cooking pasta, it does. If your water isn't at a rolling boil when you put the pasta in it, the pasta ends up sitting in warm water for too long, and it will most likely become a sticky mess as a result, per Southern Living.

According to Smithsonian Magazine, the temperature of the water when you add the pasta is crucial to how it will turn out, explaining that the boiling nature of the water is what keeps the pasta from becoming mushy and clumpy.

Not adding salt.
Good Housekeeping explains that not adding enough salt to the water is the biggest mistake home cooks make when it comes to cooking pasta. This is because as the pasta cooks in salty water, the salt flavors the pasta from the inside out. The result is pasta that has more of an overall, deep flavor, per The Spruce Eats.

And it matters when you add it. According to Good Housekeeping, the best time to add salt to the water is after the water comes to a boil; adding that, you can't add too much salt to pasta water because most of it stays in the water anyway. That said, a small palmful of salt for each pound of pasta should be good.

10/23/2023

𝗖𝘂𝗹𝘁𝗶𝘃𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗮 𝗖𝗹𝗼𝘀𝗲 𝗥𝗲𝗹𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀𝗵𝗶𝗽 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵 𝗚𝗿𝗮𝗻𝗱𝗽𝗮𝗿𝗲𝗻𝘁𝘀.

A close relationship between grandparents and grandchildren is mutually beneficial when it comes to the health and well-being of both. Grandparents provide acceptance, patience, love, stability, wisdom, fun, and support to their grandchildren. This, in turn, has positive effects on a child's well-being. A study by Sara Moorman, Ph. and Jeffrey Stokes found that children who grow up with greater emotional closeness to their grandparents are less likely to be depressed as adults (Moorman & Stokes, 2016). For grandparents, a close relationship with their grandchildren can boost brain function (Arpino & Bordone, 2014), protect against depression (Moorman & Stokes, 2016), and increase their lifespan (Hilbrand, et al., 2017). In today's world where many families may not live near each other how can parents help cultivate a close relationship between their children and grandparents?
Parents can help grandparents and grandchildren build close relationships by encouraging frequent contact. Where possible, grandparents should be invited to visit their grandchild's home often. However, while physical distance may present some challenges, some things can be done to foster frequent contact.
Visit often. When grandparents live in a different town or state planning a trip to visit them can fill your child with anticipation and excitement. Even if the visits are infrequent they will help your child view the time spent together with their grandparents as special.
Use technology. There are so many options available! Zoom, Facetime, email, texting, Instagram, etc., all of which can facilitate staying in contact. Grandparents can record themselves reading a bedtime story to share with their grandchildren. Grandchildren can send personalized messages and photos. Both with the same result of keeping in contact and staying close.
Share Photos. Place photos of grandparents in your home and point them out to your children often. You can also create a family photo album to page through while naming family members. Your children may not be able to see their grandparents frequently, but they will learn who they are and feel their importance in the family.
Write letters. Who doesn't love to receive mail? Encourage communication via mail or email with both grandparents and grandchildren participating. Both will anticipate regular communication and both will be thrilled to receive responses.
Teach Skills. Whether it is fishing or sewing many grandparents have a hobby or skill they would love to pass on to their grandchildren. This teaching can be done in person or using technology. Make sure your children have the necessary tools and materials to learn from their grandparents.
Climb the Family Tree. Children of all ages enjoy learning about their family history. Ask grandparents to share family stories and ancestry. Perhaps they can help your children draw a family tree.