Advice from the Experts and Products I Love Part II

Advice from the Experts

There is so much information out there it gets overwhelming for a "bear of very little brain" like me. So I have taken up the habit of asking people who are experts in any given field what one or two things they wish other people could know. Here are some of my results from people I've known over the years:

Hairdresser:
My hair dresser became very animated about this...
1. If you can help it and don't have very oily hair, don't wash your hair every day. Every other day or even "every other-other" day keeps hair healthiest.
2. Take a little extra time on your hair, it is not that much time, but the results are much better. "For Pete's sake, can't you spend an extra 5-10 minutes? I mean, How busy are you? Are you the President?" She said something like that. :-)

Policeman:
1. Best single step for home protection is to get a dog with a good, deep bark. (This means our dog Lucy would not qualify.)

Interior Decorator:
1. The single thing people most frequently do wrong in their homes is hang their pictures way too high. Pictures should be right at average person's eye level at the highest.
2. Have a friend look over your home and give ideas. One decorator told me she does this, since everyone needs "fresh eyes" to see their home.

Dental Hygienist:
1. Floss every day. My hygienist says, if you can't find time, carry floss in your glove compartment and do it during a down moment in carpool line. Or do it in your bed at night right before bed (keep it in your bedside stand).
2. Drink water.

Nutrition:
1. There is just no substitute for eating well and exercising, my neighbor, a nutritionist says. Sorry, no way around that, she told me. :-)
2. A book I have on general health, a recent edition, says if you take NO OTHER supplements, take Vitamin C and cod liver oil.
[I think, if you're a lady, and you just add a multivitamin and calcium (not taken at same time in the day as Vit C) you should be in good shape. ]
3. An article I once read said that you will get better health results from aerobic exercise 30 minutes a day than from quitting smoking! Not kidding! Though of course you should quit smoking.

Moving:
1. Make up the beds in a new house first of all on the day of moving in.
2. Label boxes, when packing, to be unpacked first with linens for everyone's bed and a few towels. Bring soap for showers, and paper towels and t.p. on the first day.

First grade teacher:
1. Read aloud every day, and have a quiet personal reading time every day.

WHAT'S YOUR AREA OF EXPERTISE? PLEASE SHARE ONE OR TWO THINGS YOU WOULD ADVISE OTHERS TO PUT INTO PRACTICE!

Products I Love Part II: Clothes Edition

1. Dansko shoes. For walking all around on errands or trips or whatever. Sort of ugly, very functional-looking, and amazing relief for the legs and back.
2. Air Pegasus women's running sneakers (half size up). Oh, they are good. So cushiony!
3. My new Nike thermal running tights. Just got these yesterday at an outlet, a new favorite. Toasty warm, soft, and I never once felt too hot on my first run in them!
4. Liz Claiborne button front, no-iron blouses. My 2 have lasted about 4 years, never need to be ironed, never fade, always look fresh. They even survived Chinese washing-machine water, which famously "dingifies" everything.

WHAT ARE YOUR FAVORITES?