Keep yourself and your family healthy this flu season.
Flu Prevention Tips:
1. Wash your Hands- wash your hands often and thoroughly, you should wash your hands with soap under warm water for at least 20 seconds.
2. Avoid touching your face- think about how many times a day you touch your face, and how many other things you touch with your hands, avoid doing this and you'll expose yourself to a lot less germs.
3. Get plenty of Sleep- Sleep is key to keeping your immune syestem up and running. Eight hours of sleep a night is ideal, and naps during the day are very healthy too.
4. Get a flu shot- it's not to late!
If you do Get the Flu:
1. Stay Home- limit your exposure to other people by staying home as soon as you start feeling sick.
2. Don't share things- like utensils, blankets, and towels.
It’s almost the holiday season again! As temperatures get cooler, there are a few things to keep in mind to keep your pets safe.
Don’t leave your pet out in the cold!
First of all, make sure your pet has a safe way to get out of the cold. Reconsider “outside only” pets. Most of our domesticated pets don’t adapt well to extreme cold or heat. Make a safe area of the house so that your dog or cat has a warm and cozy place to stay while it’s cold outside.
Don’t give leftovers!
Before giving your pet a treat, make sure it’s safe to eat. Here is a link to a list of foods that are toxic to dogs and cats. Also, cooked bones are asking for trouble – they are delicious, which means your pet may gulp them and choke, or chew them into harmful splinters. Stick with safe chews that are made for dogs or cats.
Do think about safety this holiday season!
There are many things you can do to ensure your pets’ safety this winter. Consider giving your four-legged friend one of these safety-oriented gifts:
-Toys. Make sure they’re safe for your pet. For example, tennis balls, while great fetch toys, aren’t good for dogs to chew on for a long time. Choose toys specifically made for your pet for the best results.
-A seatbelt. Your friends may think you’re crazy, but in case of an accident, you probably don’t want your friend flying out of the car. Make sure you get one that’s been crash-tested!
-Dog & Cat First Aid. You can take this class at the American Red Cross. You can’t bring your pets, but it’s a great way to learn how to be prepared for many different kinds of emergencies. Included in the price of the class is your choice of a Dog First Aid or Cat First Aid book.
I must admit that I only watch a few TV shows, but one of the ones I do watch faithfully is The Office. I was looking forward to an extra-long episode after the Super Bowl, and wasn’t disappointed. It was ridiculously funny, and the American Red Cross made a cameo!I don’t want to spoil it for anyone who hasn’t watched the episode and may want to be surprised, but the employees attend a CPR demonstration.
I recently became a First Aid/CPR/AED instructor, so it was very interesting for me to note the differences between what was shown on the show and the way courses are conducted by the Red Cross. First of all, there was only one dummy (often referred to as a “manikin,” intentionally spelled phonetically) for a class of about ten people. We use a DVD to teach CPR skills, instead of launching right into practice as the instructor on the show did. She also didn’t correct Michael (played by Steve Carell) even though his hand placement would do much more harm than good. Instead of acting as the heart muscle, he would choke the victim.So does Steve Carell just need to take a CPR class? Not necessarily. I wouldn’t put it past him to intentionally have Michael Scott not know a darn thing about CPR. Michael isn’t the brightest bulb. I don’t think the show needed to portray exactly what an American Red Cross class is like, either. If it did, this couldn’t happen:
I’m 99.9% sure that no one has pulled a knife on our mannequins in any of the classes at the chapter, which makes me feel safer! In case you saw the show and were wondering, yes, the heads underneath the faces do indeed look like this:
If you’re interested in learning more about CPR training, First Aid training, and/or AED training, feel free to call the bookstore at 801-323-7014. We’re happy to help.
