How To Properly Clean Your Bicycle During a Pandemic

Photo by carolyn christine on Unsplash

During the COVID-19 pandemic, people have been turning more to bicycles as a means of solitary fitness when going to the gym is not an option. Proper cleaning and maintenance of hybrid bikes and other models is important during the best of times. However, in light of the current public health crisis, it becomes even more important to ensure that your bike is not only clean but sanitized before you ride.

Basic Bike Cleaning

If your bike is visibly dirty after a ride, it is advisable to clean and lubricate it thoroughly before putting it away. However, wiping off the frame with a damp rag and lubricating the chain after every ride is considered a good habit by the experts.

If you own an electric bicycle, which is one with a battery and a motor to provide pedal assist, you may wonder if it needs any special care. In fact, the electrical components are designed to withstand water. Therefore, cleaning a womens e bike need be no different from a traditional nonmotorized bike. You do, however, need to prevent any leather components on your bicycle from getting wet.

When cleaning your bike, you can use either a bucket of water or a hose with a normal spray attachment. Do not use any sort of pressure washer. This can cause the bearings to rust by forcing water into them. You can use a pre-formulated bike wash cleaner, or you can use diluted dishwashing fluid, which workswell because of its degreasing properties.

Special Bike Sanitation

Normal bike cleaning tends to focus on the parts of the vehicle that are closest to the ground and therefore most likely to encounter water, dirt, and mud. However, efforts to stop the spread of infectious diseases such as COVID-19 focus more on sanitizing the surfaces that you touch most often. On your bike, this primarily means the handlebars and the brake levers. You should use a disinfectant cleaner on a cloth or pre-prepared wipe to clean these areas off both before and after each ride.

In fact, it may be a good idea to sanitize everything that comes in contact with you during your ride. This means not only the bike itself but your helmet should also be sanitized. You may think the risk of infection from your helmet is low, and perhaps it is, but you never know what might happen to it when you leave it hanging on the bike or set it down on a surface that could be contaminated.

Don't forget hand hygiene in addition to bike sanitation. After your ride, wash your hands for at least 20 seconds with soap and water as soon as possible. In situations where you do not have access to soap and water, an alcohol-based hand sanitizer is an acceptable alternative. In either case, be sure to rub your hands together vigorously because it is the combination of cleansing agents and friction that neutralizes and removes the viruses from your skin.

As long as you comply with orders from your local government and take reasonable precautions to prevent the spread of germs, you can continue to ride your bike during the pandemic. If you're looking to get back into riding, check out mens bikes for sale from reputable online dealers.

Camping With My Girl and Some Friends - Day 3

Day 3 is return to life day. Jen had to leave early because she was working. I don’t know how she did it but she loaded up her car, made breakfast and before you know it she and her kids were gone. 

This is a pic of my Goddess in the loft area for size comparison. She if 5 feet tall.

We walked around making sure nothing was left behind after loading up the car. Grabbed the garbage and headed out to drop it and the key off. Look at my little genius

I called my son to tell him we were heading home and he told me that he couldn’t wait for us to get home. I asked him why and he said “I miss you.” It hurt my heart! I said, “but you don’t even hang out with us, you stay in your room.” He said, “Yeah but knowing you guys are not here makes me sad.” Awww..BTW...he still hangs in his room. Nothing has changed. 

All in all it was a good time away. Fun time with my girl except when she was being a true PITA teen but that is to be expected right?!

So glad we went.

Camping With My Girl & Some Friends - Day 2

 

Day 2 -

I woke up early. Mostly because before bed we decided that the mattress was so shitty we should add an air mattress to it. The cabin had one so we added that on top of the mattress. It had zero support and really sucked. I was in pain all night and couldn’t move my back in the morning. It was so bad that I considered going home or sleeping in the car sitting up instead of going back to the bed. I was actually stressed about bedtime. 

When I walked into the living room I saw one of the kids up sitting in a chair, she told me that she had slept on her finger and that it was numb. We talked about rubbing her finger. Eventually the house started waking. It is a loft area where they sleep so any talking is going to wake them.  When I went back to the bedroom to get dressed my daughter was up. It was only 7:30 so I was a little shocked. This girl can sleep.

 I called my husband to say good morning and he told me how great he had slept without someone snoring next to him. It’s funny because his snoring keeps me away. We both complain about the other but the kids tell us it is very loud with the both of us snoring. 

Eventually my daughter and I decided to go for a walk. It was beautiful out and Jen’s kids really wanted to go to the pool. We had not planned not planned on the pool so figured we would just hang out all day.  As we were walking Jen text saying that the pool pump was broken and would not be opening for the day. She didn’t know how to tell her kids but I assured her that we could go on Google Maps and find something. We both agreed 20 minutes away would be our limit. Many things were closed but eventually we found Space Farms which we have been to but they had never been. 

We took our time taking in the sights, enjoying the temperature knowing that Space Farms didn’t open for another hour and a half. When we got back to the cabin, Jen had already booked the tickets. So now she has paid the cabin, food, firewood, and Space Farms! Grrr...that makes me uncomfortable.

We headed to Space Farms and fortunately her and her kids loved it. I bought them animal food to feed the animals and pizza and drinks. I also wanted to pay for her kids gift shop items but she had paid while we were still looking. 

It is a walk through and you only had to wear your mask inside the buildings. There are many buildings but all the animals are outside. I think my favorite part of Space Farms are the buildings though. There is so much to see. 

I took a ton of photos you can check them out on Instagram if you are interested. 

When we got back to the cabin, we ate, feed the goats, changed, and played more card games. 

 

It was a fun game but I wasn’t part of it. They started without me and never dealt me in. Wahhhh

My daughter took some air out of the air mattress which worked better. We slept well. Not great but better. 

Camping With My Girl & Some Friends - Day 1

We were invited to go camping or glamping if you please since there was a cabin. They were going anyway and asked if we wanted to tag along. With the COVID shut down of everything I really wanted to do something different with my daughter and this was perfect. My son was invited but didn’t want to go which I basically knew would be his answer.  My friend Jen invited us to use the bedroom and she would sleep in the loft with her kids, she also said “don’t bring any food as I am already bringing a ton since we are going anyway“.  I am not picky but my Goddess is so I brought for her and the kids. Grabbed some quick gifts for her kids as well since she wasn’t letting me pay anything, packed up the car and headed out. We were excited to be on an adventure. I am always up for things, my husband is not that guy and for years I have wasted weekends not doing things that would have made me happy because I wanted to be here for him. He is a big boy and can handle whatever and my life isn’t getting any longer so I will be taking these opportunities whenever I can.

They were there before us so when we got there we unloaded the car and while we felt awkward jumped right in. I know them a long time, cat sit for them when they are away but don’t REALLY know them. The kids are nice and my host was very sweet to invite us. 

We got there at 2:50, made our bed which we could tell was crappy. Unpacked the food, and went for a walk so they could show us around. There wasn’t much to see. It is an RV Resort and it looked like many lived there year round. 

We walked to the park, went to play miniature golf but it was closing and headed back. Jen had ordered wood for the fire pit that never came so the girls set about finding twigs to start a fire. 

They did a pretty good job.

We played a card game called Not Parent Approved which is really fun! You need at least 3 people to play it. 

We all headed to bed about 11ish. My daughter was watching something on her iPad for a little while. When she finally shut the light out it was so dark in our room. It truly was the darkest of darks. Next to me in the darkness my daughter says, “It is so dark, I don’t even know if my eyes are open.” I still chuckle when I think about it. She had brought a sleep mask for her eyes in case it was too bright since we didn’t know the sleeping situation. She was like, “Well I obviously won’t need my eye mask.” We laugh off and on for 15 minutes until one of us fell asleep. Probably me!

 

The Night Before We Go Back To School

I have been off with my kids since the second week of March due to COVID close downs. Originally we thought it would be a short time and eventually we found out that schools would not be opening again. I went back to work 2-3 days a week at the preschool I work in May as a Director of the school instead of a teacher.  The kids had hours of school work and eventually in the summer chores. We couldn’t go anywhere due to everything being closed so we basically spent the days together. I loved it. I will never have enough time with them. 

The Summer was a hot mess. My daughter waking up anywhere from 12-2:30 and my son playing video games all day in between doing chores. We sat down to read like we do every Summer but neither were into it. 

I read a lot, did some journaling, practiced drawing and tried not to waste the days by sitting in front of the TV with my daughter. It is so easy to do that! We like a lot of the same You Tubers.  My daughter managed some sleepovers with her bestie. They are friends since the age of 3. They were in the same preschool. I also took one of her “guy” friends over a few times. I like hanging out with him too. He is a comedian. My face hurts from laughing when I bring him home. My son hasn’t seen anyone except for us and the neighbors as well as his Abuela’s on the one day we visited them and he seems fine with it.  

It is the weirdest thing to me that both kids would have been okay if they had not seen friends since March. I have been hearing this from many friends who also say that their kids just aren’t looking for their friends and their friends aren’t looking for them. In the age of electronics, these kids have grown up being able to talk to their friends without Actually being with them. There’s Snapchat, Instagram, Texting, Online Gaming and more. They are talking to them, just not in the same room. So I guess I get it but I don’t!

It is worrisome that they are truly okay being solitary. I am a loner so while I get it, I do enjoy getting together with friends. If this had happened when I was a kid, I would have been so depressed. No computer, no smart phone, no cable. Just the same 12 Channels, none of them came in great and a staticky radio. I would have run out of books the first two weeks and my sisters and I would have killed each other.  We would have however been in the best shape of our lives because we would have been biking every day from morning till night when our parents got home. 

Getting the kids back on a schedule is going to be crazy. My husband and I just talked about it. They are going to have to shut the electronics down by 9 and be in bed by 10 and however long it takes you to sleep that is how long it takes. Spend some time thinking! 

While I prepare them, I know that my preschool parents are preparing their toddlers to spend the day with me. I need to be rested and ready to get a bunch of kids who have been unscheduled for months, back on a schedule that works with a classroom of 10 - 2-3 year olds. Should be interesting. We will spend the first day learning the rules of the classroom, the importance of hand washing, how to stand in a line as well as do a few first day projects for the parents benefit. I can’t wait to get started. 

I wish my kids the very best first day as well as anyone else going back to school whether you are student, teacher, or a parent having to let your little one go for the first time in months. It will be challenging. Expect it but know that they will be great! They need to be in school. School is essential and if we all do the right thing and follow the rules, regulations and guidelines set in place we will all be okay. 

Are you Ready!? Me Either!!

My First Halloween Book of The Year - Pumpkin Magic by Ed Masessa

The 411:

This cute and whimsical tale of our porch pumpkins coming to life when the moonbeam’s magic hit was a rhyming good time. I loved reading it out loud and know my preschool class will love it! 

The illustrations were the perfect accompaniment to the adorably child friendly story about Halloween Jack O’ Lanterns.  Bold dark colors serve as a backdrop and make the cheery pumpkins eyes and mouths glow. 

This is definitely a book I won’t mind re-reading whenever my class asks for it.

4 Ways Healthcare Providers can Prevent Healthcare Fraud

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Healthcare professionals could be hit with million-dollar fines if they're found guilty of healthcare fraud. There's also the risk of being sent to prison or losing their medical license. You don't have to be guilty of deliberately defrauding the government, either. You could face hefty penalties due to errors in billing by your employees that end up costing the government more than it should pay, for instance. That's why you need to do all you can to minimize the risk. Here are fourways healthcare providers can prevent healthcare fraud.

Ensure Accurate Billing

You can be hit with significant fines if your staff accidentally double-bill or over-bill patients and the government. That’swhy you need to review medical billing and coding practices so that employees don’t improperly bill for a more expensive service or file a claim for undocumented services. Invest in ongoing training of staff regarding compliance, and set up internal monitoring and auditing to prove it is being done. Ongoing monitoring allows you to identify and correct abnormal billing practices as soon as possible.

Be as Transparent as Possible

Gifts from medical manufacturers can influence provider decisions. This is why the Affordable Care Act requiresmedical device manufacturers, pharmaceutical companies, and biological companies to disclose their gifts to healthcare providers. A healthcare provider's moral obligation is not to recommend expensive or new treatments because they receive these gifts.

If you’ve accidentally filed a fraudulent claim, stop billing immediately and consult with an attorney. This minimizes your legal liability while the attorney can do a detailed risk analysis. If you’ve already been accused of fraud, a team like healthcarefraudgroup.com can connect you with experienced healthcare fraud attorneys who can assist you.

Maintain and Update Your Documentation

Your healthcare facility needs to maintain accurate records. This ensures that you have the documentation to defend yourself if accused of medical malpractice or Medicare fraud. 

You don't want to receive a fine for billing the government for services that they say were not rendered when the real problem is that you didn't document all rendered services. The government's stance will always be that if you didn'tdocument it, the treatment didn't take place.

Be Careful with Your Referrals

Referrals are not as simple as they may seem. For example, the Anti-Kickback Statutes and Stark Law could result in penalties if a doctor refers a patient to another facility when an investor has a stake in both facilities. So, don't accept a partnership with an expectation that you'll send business their way. Unwarranted medical treatments can also waste a patient's time and money, so don't make a referral unless you have solid evidence to back it up. 

Furthermore, you’re obligated to report any conflicts of interest regarding referrals. This could be as simple as telling a patient that you’re referring them to a day surgery center that you partially own while making it clear they have the right to use another facility. If you’re in doubt regarding the legality of a potential conflict of interest, seek legal counsel.

Conclusion

The government can do anything from revoking your medical license, to sending you to prison, or hitting you with fines equal to several times what they say you over-billed the state. This is why you must do everything you can to prevent charges of healthcare fraud.

Is Buying a Car Worth it?

Cars cost money. For most of us, after our house (or even before, if you are yet to make that investment), our vehiclesare the most expensive thing that we own. They come with related costs, and even if you only use yours infrequently, it continues to cost you money. If you can’t drive yet, there are other costs to consider, such as driving lessons, tests and licenses, and first-time insurance can be ridiculously expensive. If you live somewhere with useful public transport links, you work within walking distance from home, or you have excellent access to lifts and car shares, you might wonder if it’s worth buying a car. Well, it really does depend. Let’s take a look. 

What Are the Costs of Owning a Car?

The costs of a car don’t stop when you shell out on the price sticker. The other costs of owning a car include:

Insurance

The costs of car insurance can be high, especially if you are young and a first-time driver. But you can bring these costs down by purchasing a safe and sensible car, keeping it in a secure location, experimenting with how you class your occupation on the application form, and by adding a named driver. Of course, if you drive well and avoid accidents, your premiums will reduce quickly as your no-claims bonus builds. 

Tax

When you drive, you are legally obligated to pay road tax. The amount you pay will depend on your car, its age, and its emissions. 

Fuel

Unless you invest in an electric car, you will have to pay for gas to keep it going. These prices can vary between locations and times of the year. 

Regular Maintenance 

If your car breaks down or is involved in an accident, you’ll have to cover repair costs, but even if you are lucky enough to avoid these, there will be routine checks and maintenance throughout its life. 

How Your Car Could Save You Money

So, your car has costs. But it can also save, or even make you some money. Once you own a car, you have capital. If you ever need money quickly, you could sell it. Or, even better, you could sell the title to Fort Lauderdale, fl - fast money car title loans, and keep driving normally. You can also make money by hiring it out or using it to work as a driver. 

Owning a car can also save you money on costly public transport, especially if you use it to travel on vacation instead of paying for flights. 

The Other Benefits of Owning Your Own Car

The benefits of owning a vehicle aren’t just financial. Having easy access to a car can save you time, make traveling easier, improve your mood (because who loves sitting on a packed bus?), and give you extra freedom. A car means that you can live independently and that you never have to rely on anyone else for your transport needs. 

There’s no doubt that a car can be a worthwhile investment. If you use it regularly or find ways to make extra money with it, a car can save you money and make your life easier. Butultimately, the decision is yours.

Planning an Outdoor Event

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Someday soon crowded outdoor events and celebrations will return in full force with eager guests ready to dance, sing, shop, and mingle. Keep in mind these tips when planning one-of-a-kind outdoor gatherings.

Set the Scene

When it comes time to pick the setting for your outdoor event be sure to think about your intended guest list size, party goals, and time of year. Larger musical festivals are better suited to empty lots or wide-open grassy spaces, while outdoor weddings and smaller celebrations have a wider variety of options. Outdoor events run a gamble with weather, so consider searching for event spaces that provide some covered areas or indoor-outdoor hybrid options, such as enclosed gardens or museum grounds.

Logistics

After securing the space for your event, whether it be a vacant campground or grassy park, it is extremely important to communicate with city and local officials regarding rules and regulations. Discuss the allotted hours of the event, noise regulations, city guidelines, and other details. If your outdoor party involves transporting and installing movable features, such as a music stages and amplifiers, be sure to plan out the logistics of how trucks and crews will enter the designated work zones. When considering logistics also remember your party guests. Where will they go to the bathroom, wash their hands, throw away trash, and park their cars? Consider options like event restroom trailers to help meet your event needs.

Décor

Outdoor parties often require much different décor than indoor bashes. If you are holding an outdoor wedding, consider strong, sturdy decorative pieces that can sustain gusts of wind and other weather elements. Planning a larger event, like a trade show, state fair, or craft exhibition? You likely won’t need as much décor, but consider appropriate signage, maps, and street markers to help guests find their way around the showcases.

 

With proper planning you can make any outdoor event a smashing success!

Top Career Options for Those Who Love Water Sports

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It’s natural to want to turn a beloved hobby into a viable career option, especially if you’re young and trying to decide which career path to take. If you’ve been honing your strength and skill with a particular water sport for the majority of your life, then you’re probably wondering what you can do for a career to support this. 

Here are some great career options for those who love water sports. 

Sport Instructor

With any water sport comes the need to learn, and you could put your skills to good use by helping and teaching others to learn and participate in any chosen water sport. You could aim to become an instructor of a specific sport, or perhaps you’d like to try your hand at a few if you’re skilled at more than one. 

Instructors can open up their own instructor business so that learners can hire them privately for lessons, or you could see which opportunities are available in water sport hotspots, such as vacation complexes or those businesses at beaches or lakes. 

Furthermore, you can even offer instruction for other water sport activities, such as jet ski or boat hire, if you’re also skilled in sailing or using water equipment. 

Lifeguard 

If swimming is where your strengths lie and you’d like to turn your skills to having more responsibility for others (as well as spending all your time by the water, whether at a pool or the ocean) then a lifeguard could be a valuable career choice. 

This is a great option for those who already lead a highly active lifestyle and want more of an incentive to keep it up in order to pass their physical as a lifeguard!

Play Professionally 

Maybe you have athletic dreams of playing professionally in your favourite sport. A good way to develop your skills and get noticed is through seeking out scholarships for water sports, like with asmscholarships.com. This will help you to study and progress in your chosen field in order to work towards a professional athletic career. 

Swimming Instructors 

Maybe you’d like to work at a local pool and give swimming lessons to those who need it. You could teach children and adults alike in providing private or group lessons to assist people in learning to swim. 

Water Aerobics 

You may have had dreams about becoming a fitness instructor, but want to stick close to the water. Becoming a water aerobics instructor is a great way to help people keep fit whilst being able to spend time in the water. 

There may be opportunities for water aerobics anywhere, such as local indoor pools, outdoor pools or even opportunities in other countries, such as classes offered at hotels, vacation complexes or on cruise ships. 

Final Thoughts 

Looking for a career tailored around water sports can open up many opportunities for you around the world. As water sports are so popular, both as a healthy pastime and as a vacation activity, there will always be opportunities to put your skill and passion to good use.

The Spa Girl Life Is A Total De-Stresser

Lately many of my friends have been telling me they are so stressed. The way the world has been going the past few months it isn’t hard to understand.  There are So many uncertainties and fears.  We have been locked down, some are unemployed still, some not able to make their rent, some uncertain when their job will open and if it does how will they handle their children’s hybrid school schedule! It is not surprising that some friends are getting anxious. When I am feeling anxious I put on music and burn candles. The Spa Girl Life candles are perfect for this uncertain, stressful time. They come with stones that are paired with the scent of the candle and I am so into it!

The Spa Girl Life, a newly launched NAPPA award-winning luxury and vegan candle brand, is the perfect gift solution for anyone looking to unwind and de-stress. Their new fragrance and stone pairing, Cosmic Karma with Amazonite, offers the natural and fresh scent of eucalyptus and mint to promote clarity, inner peace, and relieve any grief or sorrow. This candle boosts clarity, mindfulness and relaxation and is the perfect gift for any special occasion. Added bonus, you’ll also love smelling it when he burns it around the house! 

 Not only are they great smelling candles and come with accompanying stone but they also have a little gift card and guided meditation with each candle. 

I truly love it and my husband loves that it doesn't smell too "girly". It's funny because he never mentioned this before.  Who knew? 

Skoon Is The Purrfect Cat Litter

As an owner of 3 cats, a pet sitter and avid volunteer at an animal shelter I can tell you that the biggest concern for cat owners is the litter box. It was why my husband didn’t want more cats in the house after we lost our cat baby years ago. My kids always asked for a pet and since I knew how much work was involved with owning a dog I kept my hope up for a cat. As soon as the kids and I started working at the shelter my husband knew we would eventually have one. He never planned for three but that is how it goes. 

We are quick to clean the litter box so there are no complaints from my husband with cat smells but there will always be some smell especially if you are out and they use the box. I have tried many litters over the past few years but last Saturday we tried Skoon and I am so happy we did!

Skoon is the litter brand that understands that while loving your cat is easy, cleaning that designated kitty bathroom is a whole other story. 

Skoon makes non-clumping litter “purr-fectly designed” for feline odor control and super easy maintenance for human convenience. Ensuring that the human-feline bond is one that will last as long as the planet, it’s doing its part to reduce carbon “pawprints” with pebbles that are inherently biodegradable.

My Siamese is probably the smartest and most curious of the my_3_catsss and we the most interested. He is the one who is toilet bowl trained. Only took him a month BTW so I was hoping he would NOT be interested in Skoon.  

Here is what I know:

Skoon is a pebble that absorbs any liquid and orders

When the pebbles are darker you replace them

There is ZERO tracking of litter.

There is no dust so it is better for your cats and you

Skoon DEFINITELY controls the smell! My husband admits that he doesn’t smell the litter box anymore., 

All three cats have used Skoon which comes in it’s own handy dandy litter box and when the litter needs changing, you just grab a new bag of Skoon and change out the “pebbles”.  You can even try it for yourself risk free. I am doing the monthly free delivery which will cost me $24.95 a month which is a bargain for three cats! 

After 7 days of use I am amazed. It is shocking how little clean up there is. This is a no clumping litter which means you only have to pick up the solids. Interestingly enough my cats are using their old box to poop and the Skoon box to pee. I think the Skoon box is small for my cats. We use a cattery size box so I might just jump a Skoon bag into their big box when it comes in. 

Come see what my cats think about Skoon https://youtu.be/XLfkhTxY8Fg