The holiday season brings excitement, cheer, and joy to me and my family as we kick off the holiday season with Thanksgiving. The season seems to go full steam ahead with endless comfort foods, family gatherings, and social commitments that last about forty days until we bring it to a close by ringing in the New Year. Most of us kick off the holiday celebrations by overindulging with all the things that bring us joy like our favorite foods, entertainment, and shopping. Holidays can leave us feeling sluggish, depressed, as we bring a close to the season. During the holidays we usually pack on a few extra pounds, expands our waist lines, and about the time we think we can get a little rest—we jump back into life as we try to catch up on job, school, and family as fatigue settles in.
As many of us are running out of holiday cheer and the realities of the season merge with our expectations, we find ourselves searching for the perfect New Year’s Resolution. The timing for setting such an important goal comes at the worst possible time—we are tired and feeling guilty for overindulging yet, most of us set a goal doomed for failure. So, this year I decided to look for a New Year’s Resolution that was easy for me to achieve and good for the environment—here are my 5 suggestions for success:
Recycle: Designate a place in your garage or around your home for recyclables to help make it easy for you and your family to recycle newspapers, cardboard, and aluminum cans. Recycling helps you, your community, and the environment, and best of all it is free.
Give up paper towels: Reusable microfiber towels grip dirt and dust better than paper and are great for cleaning counter tops and glass surfaces too. Reusable microfiber saves money over paper towels and is cleaner—safer for the environment. Giving up paper makes microfiber a win win Resolution.
Run it loaded: Running a fully loaded dishwasher without pre-rinsing the dishes can save up to 10 gallons of water a day. Clothes washers are no exception run a full load or adjust the water level to the lowest amount needed to get the job done. This saves both money and energy, and in these hard economic times every little bit counts.
Give up 2 degrees: It has been estimated you could save 10 to 20% off your utility cost by lowering your thermostat to 68 degrees in the winter. I think it is cozier to snuggle in under a blanket on a snowy winter night than turning up the heat; and I rest better knowing the utility company isn’t getting more of my hard-earned money. Less cost and better for the environment makes giving up 2 a winner.
Reusable water bottle: Each year we dump more than 26 billion plastic water bottles into our land fields every year with fewer than 15% being recycled. You can buy an aluminum or stainless steel reusable water bottle for about $15 and fill with filtered water. Plastic water bottles are convenient and they encourage us to drink more water; so when you have to use plastic—recycle!
So, what about a recycled New Year’s Resolution? Keep it simple; revise as necessary while keeping your eye on what is important. Life is full of unavoidable stress and hazards and the most important part of success is keeping it simple. Sometimes it is the small things that make the biggest impact on our lives and community. If you take the time to relax and enjoy friends and family—I am confident you will enjoy life to the fullest in the New Year.
Howard Baker, RN BSN
For questions, comments, or suggestions on topics you want to read about please email me at: howard@howardsbaker.com
Monday, December 26, 2011
Saturday, December 24, 2011
A Christmas Story
I started reading Christmas stories to groups when I was only 5 years old. I guess I’ve always had a knack for storytelling because as I stood before my brother’s 3rd grade class and read ‘Twas the Night Before Christmas, I didn’t realize that the book was upside down. Although my telling of Clement Clarke Moore’s story was not verbatim, nonetheless, its spirit and meaning were very much alive. Because, you see, the spirit of Christmas resides in the hearts and minds of children; written words will never express the true meaning of Christmas that lives within us.
As a child I can remember our family going to the hospital cafeteria so that we could eat Christmas dinner with my mom when she was at work. Therefore, I am confident that I have had more holiday meals in a hospital than I have at home. That experience gives me an eccentric feeling of belonging to something that is in constant motion—never pausing or wavering from caring, giving, or helping another who is a little less fortunate.
As an adult I have felt the pain of seeing a mother dying of cancer on Christmas day as her 5-year-old-son struggles to understand what dying means. Then that same little boy returns on Valentine’s Day bearing bags of candy hearts along with crayon messages of what nurses mean to him. During those times, I understand what nursing is and the impact we have on another life during moments of weakness when one’s chin quivers under the weight of his world. I will never forget that somber day as I watched a little boy walk hand in hand with his father after their lives were changed forevermore. My drive home that day was filled with dark images flashing through my mind as I had become silent and numb in search of the Joy of Christmas.
I realize that happiness and joy does not come elaborately wrapped and placed under a tree, but instead, comes from the heart and in a moment when we connect with what is really important in life. The gift of health is so fragile and precious, and yet most people take it for granted. The loss of health doesn’t affect just the afflicted; it stirs many emotions and impacts many lives for generations to come. For me, the meaning of Christmas is about a smile, a chuckle in one’s heart, the warmth of family, and being healthy. Take the time this holiday season to be kind to one another, to smile, to laugh, and to exchange good tidings.
Howard Baker, RN BSN
For questions, comments, or suggestions on topics you want to read about please email me at: howard@howardsbaker.com
As a child I can remember our family going to the hospital cafeteria so that we could eat Christmas dinner with my mom when she was at work. Therefore, I am confident that I have had more holiday meals in a hospital than I have at home. That experience gives me an eccentric feeling of belonging to something that is in constant motion—never pausing or wavering from caring, giving, or helping another who is a little less fortunate.
As an adult I have felt the pain of seeing a mother dying of cancer on Christmas day as her 5-year-old-son struggles to understand what dying means. Then that same little boy returns on Valentine’s Day bearing bags of candy hearts along with crayon messages of what nurses mean to him. During those times, I understand what nursing is and the impact we have on another life during moments of weakness when one’s chin quivers under the weight of his world. I will never forget that somber day as I watched a little boy walk hand in hand with his father after their lives were changed forevermore. My drive home that day was filled with dark images flashing through my mind as I had become silent and numb in search of the Joy of Christmas.
I realize that happiness and joy does not come elaborately wrapped and placed under a tree, but instead, comes from the heart and in a moment when we connect with what is really important in life. The gift of health is so fragile and precious, and yet most people take it for granted. The loss of health doesn’t affect just the afflicted; it stirs many emotions and impacts many lives for generations to come. For me, the meaning of Christmas is about a smile, a chuckle in one’s heart, the warmth of family, and being healthy. Take the time this holiday season to be kind to one another, to smile, to laugh, and to exchange good tidings.
Howard Baker, RN BSN
For questions, comments, or suggestions on topics you want to read about please email me at: howard@howardsbaker.com
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