Washing Hands

Many outbreaks of foodborne disease result from food being contaminated when it is being prepared or served by a food worker with unwashed or improperly washed hands.

Many outbreaks result from food being contaminated when it is being prepared or served by a food worker with unwashed or improperly washed hands. Scientific evidence shows that preventing illness begins with the basics. Wash your hands thoroughly, with soap, before and after handling food. It can prevent illness and even death.

Germs such as norovirus, Salmonella, and E. coli cause thousands of illnesses and deaths in the United States each year. Hospitalizations resulting from foodborne disease outbreaks have increased in recent years but can be prevented if people follow proper food handling practices.

During 2008 alone, 1,034 foodborne disease outbreaks were reported. More than 23,000 people got sick during these outbreaks, and 22 people died.  Almost half of the outbreaks had a single cause or food source. Norovirus was the most common cause, accounting for nearly half of the outbreaks and illnesses. The top foods that caused the outbreaks were poultry (15%), beef (14%), and fish (14%).

More than 1,200 people were hospitalized because of foodborne outbreaks in 2008. That’s 6% of all people who got sick during the outbreaks – a high percentage compared with the 4% average reported for 2003 through 2007. In fact, this was the largest number of hospitalizations for foodborne illness reported since the outbreak surveillance system began in 1973. The top three causes of hospitalization in 2008 were:

• * Salmonella (62%)
• * Shiga toxin-producing E. coli (17%)
• * Norovirus (7%)

Ninety percent of illnesses in botulism outbreaks resulted in hospitalization as well as 76% of illnesses in Listeriaoutbreaks.

Twenty-two deaths were attributed to foodborne disease outbreaks. Salmonella was responsible for the most deaths (13), followed by Listeria and E. coli (3 each).

What You Can Do

• You can keep you and your family safer by remembering to:
• Clean. Wash hands, cutting boards, utensils, and countertops.
• Separate. Keep raw meat, poultry, and seafood separate from ready-to-eat foods.
• Cook. Use a food thermometer to ensure that foods are cooked to a safe internal temperature:
  • 145°F for whole meats (allowing the meat to rest for 3 minutes before carving or consuming),
  • 160°F for ground meats, and
  • 165°F for all poultry.
• Chill. Keep your refrigerator below 40°F, and refrigerate food that will spoil.
• Report suspected illness from food to your local health department.
• Don’t prepare food for others if you have diarrhea or have been vomiting.
• Be especially careful when preparing food for children, pregnant women, those in poor health, and older adults.

For more information please visit the CDC website.

Photo: delivis11

Swimmer

Swimmers have about half the risk of death compared with inactive people. People report enjoying water-based exercise more than exercising on land.

Swimming is the second most popular sports activity in the United States and a good way to get regular aerobic physical activity. Just two and a half hours per week of aerobic physical activity, such as swimming, bicycling, or running can decrease the risk of chronic illnesses. This can also lead to improved health for people with diabetes and heart disease. Swimmers have about half the risk of death compared with inactive people. People report enjoying water-based exercise more than exercising on land. They can also exercise longer in water than on land without increased effort or joint or muscle pain.

Water-Based Exercise and Chronic Illness

Water-based exercise can help people with chronic diseases. For people with arthritis, it improves use of affected joints without worsening symptoms. People with rheumatoid arthritis have more health improvements after participating in hydrotherapy than with other activities. Water-based exercise also improves the use of affected joints and decreases pain from osteoarthritis.

Water-Based Exercise and Mental Health

Water-based exercise improves mental health. Swimming can improve mood in both men and women. For people with fibromyalgia, it can decrease anxiety and exercise therapy in warm water can decrease depression and improve mood. Water-based exercise can improve the health of mothers and their unborn children and has a positive effect on the mothers’ mental health. Parents of children with developmental disabilities find that recreational activities, such as swimming, improve family connections.

Water-Based Exercise and Older Adults

Water-based exercise can benefit older adults by improving the quality of life and decreasing disability. It also improves or maintains the bone health of post-menopausal women.

A Good Choice

Exercising in water offers many physical and mental health benefits and is a good choice for people who want to be more active. When in the water, remember to protect yourself and others from illness and injury by practicing healthy and safe swimming behaviors.

For more information please visit the CDC website.

Photo: Ed.ward

Re-purposed Ladder

Think twice before you throw your old furnishings into the trash. You might be able to re-purpose the items and use them elsewhere in your home.

If your furniture is starting to look old and worn, there are things you can do to revitalize certain pieces before you consider simply getting rid of them. Re-purposing furniture can make items look as good as new and they can even be designed to really stand out in a room. If you want to attempt repurposing old home furniture items, there are several easy ways you can utilize items that would otherwise be forgotten.

Old ladders seem as if they no longer have any useful function, but they can become a cute decoration and shelf if you have an interesting color of paint on hand. Simply paint the old ladder a bright color and hang it on the wall of a bedroom or bathroom. You can use the slanted steps for small shelves for certain items and it will become an interesting eye-pleasing, portion of the room.

Old dressers are too easily dismissed. If you don`t like the look of your old dresser, paint it a bright color and use it in your kid`s room instead. You could even consider using chalkboard paint, so your child can write messages on it for fun.

If your home office is filled with disarrayed items, pull some of the unused things from the garage into it to help you organize. You can make use of those sawhorses that never get used outside and create legs for a desk. You can use an old wood pallet for the desktop and an old ladder for the frame. In no time and at no cost, you`ll have a workable desk to store items and an interesting and unique look to your room.

If you go through a remodeling project in your kitchen, you might have a few leftover items like cabinet doors. Instead of simply getting rid of them, think about hanging them in other areas of the house as decorations and accent pieces. You could put them above your fireplace mantel or above other doorways. You might want to paint them different colors, but you could also leave them as they are.

As you dig through your old kitchen items, you might find tea or coffee tins that you have been storing for years for no particular reason. Instead of tossing all of them, paint one or two with chalkboard paint and use it for a storage container. You can place scissors, pens or other items inside and label the outside with chalk.

You can even use things like old mattress springs. Today, people like to have larger beds, but you don`t have to throw away your tiny old mattress spring. Find a wall large enough and hang the mattress spring vertically on the wall. You will be creating a one of a kind message board on which you can hang a chalkboard, single sheets of paper, decoration and a number of other items. If the springs are old and rusty, simply clean them with a wire brush and some rust solution and you will be good to go.

If you have an old headboard that went along with the old mattress, don`t throw that out either. You can hang the headboard in your entryway and place hooks on it, transforming it into a coat and key rack for guests.

There are even things you can do to update and re-purpose old vertical blinds, by changing their colors and fabric or adding sheers to the window dressing. The next time you have an old item that you want to toss, think twice before you throw it into the trash. You might be able to re-purpose the item and use it elsewhere in your home.

Photo: queenvanna creations

Self Care for Moms

Renee Trudeau, a life balance expert, offers insights on How to Reclaim, Rejuvenate and Re-Balance Your Life. Here’s a chance to win a copy of her book and more.

Self-care is not self-indulgence, it’s your birthright! Every mama deserves daily nourishment and nurturing. Yes, YOU are worth it!

I am happy to share two opportunities you won’t want to miss. Just write your favorite self-care activity in the comment section below for a chance to win a Yummy Mummy Self-Care Package from me and Renee Trudeau. I’ll draw a name randomly on Mother’s Day and the winner will receive:

• ·         A copy of the beautifully illustrated, award winning book The Mother’s Guide to Self-Renewal: How to Reclaim, Rejuvenate and Re-Balance Your Life from nationally recognized life balance expert, Renee Peterson Trudeau
• ·         A free teleclass with Renee on The Transformative Power of Self-Care (Meet Renee here)
• ·         A chance to win the Yummy Mummy Year-of-Self-Care Package:  learn more

Here are some suggestions for your comments and a chance to win:
* What does self-care mean to you?
* What is your favorite self-care activity?
* Why is self-care important for moms?

What are you waiting for? Add your comment below now!

Child and Mother

As a parent you’ll recognize signs and patterns of a child’s behavior that can lead to tantrums. Change his mood with distraction and you might avoid the tantrum.

By: Alia Haley

Raising a child is one of the most difficult jobs. Almost every day, you face situations that require you to discipline your child. Because parenting is not a perfect science no one can guarantee how your child will react in a given situation. However, below I’ve provided a handful of ideas that might help you deal with your child’s tantrums.

1. Talk to Your Child
Children do not really understand that they have to behave differently in different situations. As a parent, it is your responsibility to tell them what behavior you expect. For example, if previously you have been grocery shopping with your little one and he has misbehaved, remind him of that situation and explain that such behavior is not acceptable. You can tell him that his behavior upset you and if he does not behave he will be punished. You might also consider promising a small reward.

2. Tantrum Triggers or Signs
As a parent you’ll recognize signs and patterns of a child’s behavior that can lead to tantrums. Change his mood with distraction and you might avoid the tantrum. Keep him occupied with activities. When grocery shopping, ask him to help you by putting the grocery items into the cart.

3. React or Give into the Tantrums
Spanking the child or yelling at him might only aggravate the situation. However, by fulfilling the child’s wants and wishes every time he throws a tantrum, will teach him that this behavior will get him what he wants.

4. Isolate the Child
If your child misbehaves in public, it is both embarrassing and difficult to deal with him. In this situation, it’s best to carry your child to an isolated place where you can talk to him privately. Keep him away from public areas and do not react while he continues to misbehave. Once he stops, talk to him and tell him his behavior is wrong and you are upset with him.

5. Understand the Reason for His Behavior
Often kids display tantrums to get what they want or show stubbornness. However, sometimes other reasons can cause this behavior. You child could be hungry, thirsty, tired or just bored. Knowing the cause, will help you solve your problem.

Controlling your child’s tantrums is never easy, particularly when you’re tired yourself. However, staying calm and communicating with him will diffuse the situation. Spanking or shouting never produces the result that you want.

About the Author:
Alia Haley is a blogger who enjoys writing on parenting and environment the most. Being an eco enthusiast she prefers using only eco friendly materials and products. Currently she is busy looking out for some cool small garden design ideas for her newly bought house.

Photo: DadsHouseEDCtr

Woman Boss

The difference in approach between men and women when asking for raises and promotions: “Amazingly, men are almost detached from it emotionally.”

By: Mika Brzezinski

Many of us need to rethink the way we ask for promotions and raises, because when we do ask, often it ain’t pretty. Just listen to the answers I hear when I ask, “Are there differences in the way men and women ask you for raises and promotions?”

“‘I know you’re busy, I know you don’t have time . . . ‘” — Valerie Jarrett

Obama adviser Valerie Jarrett has been the boss in a variety of workplaces. When I ask whether she sees a difference in approach between men and women when asking for raises and promotions, she says, “Amazingly, men are almost detached from it emotionally. They’re really comfortable . . . Women are much more timid and appreciative and polite. Men are very matter of fact, businesslike, unemotional. It isn’t really personal.”

“Women are emotional?” I ask.

“Emotional in the sense of apologetic . . . I remember one woman in particular who started with, “I know you’re busy, I know you don’t have time . . . ”

“Basically saying, ‘Don’t give me the raise’?”

“She backed into it badly, is the way I would say it.” Valerie tells me.

“Apologetic” and “tentative” are two adjectives I heard over and over. The editor-in-chief of Newsweek and The Daily Beast, Tina Brown says women often start to apologize with their body language before they even open their mouth. Then they’ll begin by saying, “Well, you know, I’ve been here for a while and I’ve been thinking a lot about this . . . Men come in and they just say, ‘Hey, I’m not doing this anymore unless I get X.’ And you think, ‘Of course, of course, of course,’ you know, you must take care of Joe, Fred, whomever. But women don’t do that. They just come in and they look sad . . . And we can’t do that!”

“‘I didn’t really want to come to you with this . . .’” — Carol Bartz

I ask Yahoo CEO Carol Bartz, “Have you ever had a woman ask for a raise and apologize for imposing?”

“Oh, absolutely,” she says. Bartz trots out a few she’s heard: “‘I didn’t really want to come to you with this, but, gosh, do you think my bonus percentage could be higher?‘ And, ‘Gee could you just think about it?’ When they say, ‘I don’t know if you’ll consider,’ right away they are giving you an out. Of course I wouldn’t consider, you just told me not to consider . . . when somebody gives you the reason you can say no, it just makes your job easier.”

And men?

Men will say ‘”I believe I’m undervalued here,’” Bartz tells me. “And that’s always code for ‘I’m going someplace where they value me, and it’s for these reasons.’”

“When men ask for raises there’s always some cost,” ad exec Donny Deutsch says. “It’s always ‘because I did this’ and ‘if I don’t get the raise . . . ‘ There’s always [an imaginary] gun to the head, some gamesmanship. First of all, women don’t ask as much. And when they do ask, it’s not ‘Give it to me or else.’”

When you combine my experience with what I heard from the bosses above, I have to say we women stink at this. Just look at our best opening lines:

• “I’m sorry.”
• “I know you’re busy.”
• “I don’t know if you have the time.”
• “I don’t know if you’ll consider . . . “
• “I don’t know if this is possible . . . “
• “I hate to do this.”
• “I don’t know if there’s room for this in the budget.”
• “I’m sorry if the timing is bad.”

I think I’ve managed to use everyone of those phrases in my attempts to get a raise. Of course, I used an additional strategy, too — what More editor Lesley Jane Seymour calls “playing the victim card.” Seymour says women “present their personal challenges, saying things like, ‘Well, I have this situation’ or ‘I have that burden’ or ‘My mother is ill and I have to support her’ or whatever. Women present their cause, and you have to realize it’s not a manager’s job to support your causes, whatever they might be . . . The companies can’t say, ‘Oh, I feel sorry for you.”’

Copyright © 2012 Mika Brzezinski, author of Knowing Your Value: Women, Money, and Getting What You’re Worth

About the Author:
Mika Brzezinski, author of Knowing Your Value: Women, Money, and Getting What You’re Worth, is a co-host of Morning Joe, an MSNBC anchor and author of All Things at Once. She is also co-host of The Joe Scarborough Show on Citadel Media. She is the mother of two daughters, Emilie and Carlie, and has been married for fifteen years to an investigative journalist at ABC.

For more information please visit Morning Mika and follow the author onTwitter.

Photo: Passive Income Dream

Loyal Employees

The reality is that employees are only as loyal to the company as they believe the company is loyal to them. This is true almost everywhere in the world!

By: Timothy Keiningham and Lerzan Aksoy

The landmark Ipsos Loyalty Study, the largest study of loyalty ever conducted, found less than 30 percent of US employees say they are loyal to their company. Only about 25 percent of US employees think their employer has earned their loyalty.

The long-term success of any company depends heavily upon the quality and loyalty of its people. Few corporate executives would disagree with this idea conceptually. But it is also true that most treat the economic value of employees in enhancing customer relationships and company profits as “soft” numbers, unlike the “hard” numbers they use to manage their operations, such as the cost of labor.

The problem with this is that when the going gets tough, managers focus on the hard numbers. And the reality is that at some point every company will go through tough times. That is the nature of business cycles.

The result is that today we are overwhelmed with downsizings and restructurings. Layoffs make the front pages of our newspapers regularly. And while Wall Street often rewards layoffs by treating them as a sign that management is serious about getting a company’s financial house in order, the reality is quite different. Most organizations that downsize fail to realize any long-term cost savings or efficiencies, which necessitates even more restructurings and layoffs.

Disloyalty Is a Two-Way Street

Although the cost benefits tend to be mirages, the corresponding pain to customers and employees is all too real. Research using the American Customer Satisfaction Index found that those firms that engaged in substantial downsizing experienced large declines in customer satisfaction. Unfortunately for those firms, the index has proven to be a good predictor of future earnings. The study’s authors note that “the current trend toward downsizing in US firms may increase productivity in the short term, but the downsized firms’ future financial performance will suffer if repeat business is dependent on labor-intensive customized service.”

The impact on the organization’s culture is also severe. Downsizings result in a rumor-filled paranoia. When Coca-Cola instituted a restructuring that resulted in the loss of thousands of jobs, the company became so awash in far-fetched stories that executives were forced to take the unusual step of intervening to quash them.

Worse still, employees that remain often find themselves jaded. It isn’t hard to find employees who feel exactly like Dan after his company’s layoffs in Mitchell Lee Marks’ Charging Back Up the Hill:

“There is no loyalty here; no one is going the extra mile after this. Two years ago, we worked sixty-five-hour weeks. People were willing to do it, because it was a great place to work and we were doing something that mattered.  . . . From here on in, it’s just a job for me. I’ll put in my forty hours and that’s it.”

Let’s be clear. No CEO relishes the thought of layoffs. It means that their companies are floundering. Furthermore, history has shown us that the pain often outweighs any long-term financial gains.

If companies are going to grow their way out of difficult times (and excel in good times), they need two things: (1) for their customers to stick with them, and (2) to improve their productivity. But this only happens through an organization of committed, loyal employees.

Finding the Link between Employee Loyalty and Profitability

Benjamin Schneider, professor emeritus at the University of Maryland, has shown conclusively that the employee’s loyalty-related attitudes precede a firm’s financial and market performance. And there is a much greater payoff in working on improving the human factor than people think. Researchers at University of Pennsylvania found that spending 10 percent of a company’s revenue on capital improvements increased productivity by 3.9 percent. But investing that same amount in developing the employee capital more than doubles that amount, to a whopping 8.5 percent.

It is one thing to believe that employee loyalty results in positive financial outcomes, it is quite another to quantify those outcomes. But if we are going to be able to resist our natural inclinations to focus exclusively on the short-term in difficult times, then we need to get very good at understanding what the real implications to the long-term health of our business is of employee loyalty.

The place to begin at your company is by asking, “How loyal are our employees really?” Doing this requires that you meaningfully solicit feedback from all employees (management included). And you have to be willing to ask tough questions. For example:

• How do our managers’ relationship styles impact the organization’s service climate and employee loyalty?
• Does the company provide the necessary tools and training for employees to perform their jobs well?
• Is a commitment to serve customers rewarded and encouraged by the organization?
• Does the company demonstrate that it deserves the loyalty of its employees?

There will of course be other dimensions that are of concern for your particular organization or industry. The key is to identify those few, vital dimensions that are most essential for your success. Once you have identified these dimensions, you must measure them in a clear, objective, and rigorous manner.

Once you know where you stand vis-à-vis employee loyalty, next you need to tie this information to the performance drivers of your business. Typically, these come down to four things: productivity, employee turnover, customer loyalty, and revenue.

The ability to statistically link each of these measures to employee loyalty is relatively straightforward. The key is to aggregate employee data into groups that meaningfully link to turnover, customer loyalty, and revenue. For example, a retail chain might find store level analysis to be the most relevant unit, since customer loyalty and revenue are tracked at this level, and stores typically have semi-independent management.

The correlation between employee-loyalty-related attitudes and business outcomes is always meaningful from a practical, managerially relevant perspective, so it is worth the effort. In fact, a large-scale study conducted by researchers Harter, Schmidt, and Hayes presented compelling evidence that employee-loyalty-related attitudes were positively linked to each of these performance drivers. Furthermore, managers can learn a great deal by studying the performance of their most loyal business units, and how this is influenced by managers’ own relationship styles.

Despite the ability to pull this information together to gain invaluable managerial insight, most companies do nothing (or next to nothing) in this regard. The number one problem in making the link isn’t that this information doesn’t exist. It is simply a lack of management will to pull the data contained in various departments together.

Why? We don’t want to hear bad news. And without question, this kind of company internal examination always yields bad news. The reality is that employees are only as loyal to the company as they believe the company is loyal to them. This is true almost everywhere in the world! So in the end, building an organization of committed, loyalty employees ultimately comes down to demonstrating to employees that the company deserves their loyalty.

©2009 Timothy Keiningham and Lerzan Aksoy, authors of Why Loyalty Matters: The Groundbreaking Approach to Rediscovering Happiness, Meaning and Lasting Fulfillment in Your Life and Work

About the Authors:
Timothy Keiningham is a world-renowned authority in the field of loyalty measurement and management, and Global Chief Strategy Officer and Executive Vice President for Ipsos Loyalty, one of the world’s largest business research organizations. Lerzan Aksoy is an acclaimed expert in the science of loyal management, and Associate Professor of Marketing at Fordham University. They are coauthors of a new book, with Luke Williams, entitled Why Loyalty Matters.

Photo: hermannyin

Save Energy

Learn more about what to consider before you replace your home’s windows, and what factors could affect your energy savings.

Earth Day is almost here, so if you still need an idea for a good way to take part, why not start by learning more about saving energy? It can benefit the environment and save you some money on your energy bills.

Whether you’re looking to buy new windows, a new appliance, or light bulbs, or to get your gas dollars to go further, the FTC has tips to help you make smart decisions about your energy use. Visit ftc.gov/earthday for more on:

Shopping for new windows — Learn more about what to consider before you replace your home’s windows, and what factors could affect your energy savings.

Shopping for light bulbs — Find out how understanding lumens and the Lighting Facts label can help you choose the most energy-efficient bulb to meet your lighting needs. You also can check out the FTC’s Shopping for Light Bulbs video.

Appliance shopping — See how anyone shopping for an appliance can use EnergyGuide labels to compare the energy use of different models.

Saving money at the pump — Read bumper-to-bumper tips to help you get more mileage out of your gas purchases.

The Federal Trade Commission works for consumers to prevent fraudulent, deceptive, and unfair business practices and to provide information to help spot, stop, and avoid them. For more information please visit FTC website.

Travelling

Before you travel, make sure you and your loved ones are protected against vaccine-preventable diseases that may be only a plane ride away.

Are you a prepared traveler? As you budget, write to-do lists, and pack, be sure to also check on your vaccination status. Travel – both within the United States and to other countries – can expose you to infectious viruses and bacteria. If you and your loved ones are not protected by up-to-date vaccinations, you are at risk of catching serious diseases.

Check Vaccination Records Before Travel

Vaccines are one of the most important tools you have for preventing certain diseases. If you travel to other countries, it is important to get vaccinated because some diseases that are not common in the United States still exist in other parts of the world. In addition, in an airport or airplane, other travelers can expose you to disease.

Before you travel, review your vaccination history. Check with your doctor or nurse to see if that you’ve had all of the recommended vaccines. Remember that a vaccine’s effectiveness may decrease over time. You may need boosters even if you had vaccines when you were younger.

Get the recommended vaccines before you travel. If you’re traveling outside the United States, you may need to see a travel medicine specialist. Ideally, set up a visit 4 to 6 weeks before your trip. Most vaccines take time to give protection and some vaccines must be given in a series over a period of days or sometimes weeks. If it’s less than 4 weeks before you leave, you should still see your doctor. You might still benefit from shots or medications and get other information about how to protect yourself from illness and injury while traveling.

If you’re a parent, double check your child’s vaccination records. Some vaccines are recommended at younger ages if children travel outside the United States. Talk to your child’s doctor about whether your child needs to get any early vaccines.

Vaccines are readily available in many places, including doctors’ offices, health departments, and pharmacies. Getting vaccinated before you travel is an easy way to protect yourself and your loved ones against some diseases. For additional information on smart travel, see Immunization for Travelers .

3 Types of Vaccines for Travelers

There are 3 types of vaccines for travelers: routine, recommended, and required.

Routine vaccines (for example, measles and rubella) are necessary for protection from diseases that are still common in many parts of the world, even though they may rarely occur in the United States. Be sure you and your loved ones are up to date on these vaccines.

Routine Vaccinations

If you’re not sure which vaccines are routine, see the recommended schedules:

• Recommended Adult Immunization Schedule — United States
• Recommended Childhood and Adolescent Immunization Schedule — United States

Recommended Vaccinations

Some vaccines are specifically recommended to protect travelers from illnesses in other parts of the world and to prevent spreading diseases across international borders. Which vaccines do you need? It depends on where you are going, whether you will be spending time in rural areas, the season of the year, your age, your health status, and your vaccination history.

You can see which vaccines are recommended for international travel on the CDC Travelers’ Health website. See the destinations page and look up the country or countries you will visit.

Required Vaccinations

The only vaccine currently required by International Health Regulations is yellow fever vaccination for travel to certain countries in sub-Saharan Africa and tropical South America. See Yellow Fever Vaccine Requirements.

When you travel, be aware of current travel notices and outbreaks. You might need vaccines that are not usually recommended or you might need to take other precautions.

Photo: puddy_uk

Fly Fishing

Not only are you finally enjoying retirement but you’re able to fully appreciate taking on a new hobby and experiencing new things.

By: Erin Leigh

Whoever says that “kids have all the fun” are sorely misguided. While the video games are great and everyone loves a sleepover, there’s no better time than now to be a baby boomer. Not only are you finally enjoying retirement (or hopefully only a couple of years away), you can actually afford all the things that you want to do. Plus, you’re able to fully appreciate taking on a new hobby and experiencing new things. So, put on your grownup galoshes and get ready to explore life with a renewed sense of curiosity and wonder.

Scrapbooking
Honest-to-goodness scrapbooking usually starts to appeal to people after their children have grown because now they have the time to commit to it. It’s a great way to preserve your family’s most precious moments, which are likely stored in boxes somewhere in your basement. Artfully display your wedding invitations, baby shower announcements, family photos, school awards, holiday cards, favorite recipes and more.

The best part about this hobby is that it doesn’t have to be expensive. You can arrange and showcase your memories in a simple three-ring binder. If you want to improve your skills, use Betterfly to find a scrapbooking class in your area.

Fly Fishing
Working 9 to 5 in an office for 40 years takes its toll, so it does the body good to spend some quality time outdoors. Fly fishing is a refreshing hobby for adults because it combines the simple pleasures of nature with the sophisticated art of tying your own flies.

You can spend many incredible hours learning to find the best spots to fish for trout and smallmouth bass. You may also try your hand at tying a variety of intricate and exotic-sounding flies, such as the Pheasant Tail, Jujubee, Fur Ant and Woolly Wing.

Coin Collecting
While baseball cards are for kids, coin collecting is a great hobby to take up as an adult. It takes a more mature mind to comprehend how coins can increase in value over time, and you learn a lot history from these coins, some of which have been around since the 1800s. Whitman Publishing provides a ton of useful resources for coin collecting if you’re just getting started, including coin collecting supplies and its popular price guide, The Red Book.

Expand your collection by dabbling in other currencies, like special-issue $2 bills, and even U.S. stamps. Plus, this can be great keepsake to pass onto your grandkids when they’re old enough.

Genealogy
Speaking of grandkids, the greatest gift you can possibly pass down to them is a well-researched family history. Ancestry.com and other online services speed up the process by making genealogical records available on the Internet. Search extensive online databases for your ancestors’ census, immigration and military records. You can also use these software tools to find information on births, marriages and deaths.

What are some other hobbies that you can take up to start experiencing new things?

About the Author:

Erin Leigh is a writer and blogger for 352 Media Group, a custom web development company. When she’s not writing, she’s constantly scouring her city and they Internet to find new things to do.

Photo: CircumerroStock