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Nicholas Phillips Profile and Articles
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1). Don’t Lose Sleep Over Mattress Shopping
Sleep disorders are clearly on the rise as more people are suffering from sleepless nights and fatigued days. However, replacing your mattress after every eight to ten years may prevent future sleepless nights. While mattress shopping might seem overwhelming, these 10 tips will make your shopping pleasant and a good night’s sleep possible.
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2). Suffer from Chronic Depression? New Treatment Offers Hope
Do you feel sad all the time? Have trouble concentrating and making decisions? Or experience feelings of guilt, worthlessness and helplessness that won’t go away?
If so, you may be one of the 19 million Americans who suffer from depression. For most, treatment involves admitting they have a problem, talking regularly with a licensed professional and taking their prescribed medication.
3). Renewing the Mother-Child Bond
The bond between mother and child is one of the strongest in nature. Countless studies and centuries of research show that maternal influence has an indelible, far-reaching impact on a child’s development. Even as adults, we are generally happier and more secure in life if we continue to maintain a strong bond with our mothers.
“Clearly, Americans want to take every opportunity to reconnect with their moms, regardless if they talk once a day or once every year or two,” says Jill K.
4). Trying To Lose Weight? Bring Back Breakfast
Skipping breakfast has become a common habit among adults in recent years. Whether due to lack of dedicated eating time in the morning or an attempt to lose weight, skipping breakfast can be harmful to health and actually cause weight gain.
According to a study that appeared in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, women who skipped breakfast for two weeks developed higher “bad” LDL cholesterol levels and were less sensitive to insulin than women who ate breakfast every day.
5). Grandparents Raising Grandchildren: Loving Care through the Generations
Mom, dad, kids and a dog named Spot. The nuclear family structure that was typically portrayed in television shows of the 1950s and 1960s is not the reality of today. Families are sewn together by many different threads, and one specific familial set-up – grandparents raising grandchildren – is one that is not only unique by definition, but also is susceptible to many unique challenges.
6). Five Signs Dad Needs Tech Support This Father’s Day
In a recent CompUSA Tech Insights survey, 83 percent of dads think other people have trouble setting up electronics, while only 35 percent acknowledge they need tech help themselves. With that in mind, you should think about giving Dad technology service this Father’s Day, even if he doesn’t want to admit he needs assistance.
When purchasing technology service, you should shop around and find the right service for their needs.
7). Tailgating – More than a Trend
Did you know tailgating has been around for over a hundred years? Many think of tailgating solely as a football pastime since its birth at a college game, although it is still disputed which college game was responsible for its creation. Now tailgating is a nationwide activity and it's not just for football anymore.
These days, tailgating parties.
8). Wonder What Mom’s Really Thinking? Here’s a Peek
Your Mom is the most important woman in your life, but do you really know what she's thinking - about her own role as a mother, how celebrity moms are representing the maternal calling, or how well her own mother did the hardest job in the world?
Lifetime Television, the most popular women’s network, recently polled nearly 1,000 viewers nationwide, many of them mothers, to help answer those questions.
9). Customize Your Back-to-School Wardrobe without the Designer Cost
If you’ve been doing some back to school clothes shopping, you know that embellishments are all the rage, from strategically ripped jeans to tops and bottoms enhanced with embroidery, lace, crystals and more.
The look is fabulous, but the price tag can be breath-taking. The hottest jeans can cost hundreds of dollars. Instead of figuring out.
10). Is Life Fair for the Fairer Sex?
What’s more important to women today? Love or marriage, money or happiness? If a woman wants to succeed in business, must her personal life suffer? What is the ideal age to marry? To become a mother? Why are some women saying “never”? These are just some of the questions on women’s minds, today; and Lifetime Television, the leader in women’s television, has launched a campaign to find the answers.
11). Scrapbooking for Beginners
You have photos stuffed in boxes, crammed into albums and a few stashed in the catch-all drawer. You keep telling yourself that someday you’ll go through them and put them in a glorious scrapbook crafted to perfection. But between work, errands and fixing dinner you just never seem to have a chance to pull the scrapbook together.
If you aren’t already among the one in four households that participate in scrapbooking, no need to get worked up or stressed out.
12). Make Your Yard Safe for Your Pets and Your Family
You probably don’t think of your yard as a hazardous place for your dog to run around and chase a ball, or a dangerous place for your kids to play baseball or tag. But the lawn care products you use might contain chemicals that could adversely affect the health of your pets and your family.
Many of the chemicals commonly used on lawns across the country can be toxic.
13). How To Attract the Seven Most Desired Wild Birds
Every year, more and more people are adopting “outdoor pets” in their back yard, whether they are squirrels, rabbits or the most popular outdoor pets of them all -- wild birds. People have loved feeding birds almost since the beginning of time, but for most of those years there wasn’t much nutritional science involved. We just put bread crumbs or bird seed in the yard and took what we could get.
14). Wash Away the Stress of the Laundry Day
A nationwide laundry habits survey found that those who wash their laundry at home spend 50 percent more time on this tedious chore than those who visit a coin laundry. With the spring cleaning season upon us, it’s time to lighten the load and take a trip to the local laundromat.
When it comes to laundry, bigger is better. Bigger machines, that.
15). Etiquette Tips for Every Wedding ‘Party’
The wedding season is in high gear, and with another round of newlyweds just around the corner it is important for everyone involved, from the bride down to the ushers, to get organized.
Denise Dinyon, Lenox gift-giving and etiquette expert, says that although the planning process can be hectic, staying organized and optimistic can make the day enjoyable for each guest, and most importantly, the newlyweds.
16). Survey Shows What Today’s Woman Wants in a Relationship
Forget the mystic power of perfect pecs -- when a woman is looking for her guy, smart and funny beats a hot bod, hands down. Sure there are other pitfalls ahead, like married and/or gay men, unseemly body odor, cheap cologne, overly demanding sexual partners, witless first dates, and the timeless allure of the “bad boy.” But at the end of.
17). Company's Coming: How to Entertain In Style
Many make-ahead dishes can help you enjoy entertaining. All you need to do is prepare some sensational meals that keep well. So, organize a little, pull out the good shoes, and prepare to have a great time at your own party.
* Think ahead and relax. Craft your menu in advance. Know what you need before you head to the market. This will minimize expenses and assure a complete and impressive presentation.
18). Grandparents as Parents
“Little J” is almost 6 years old and attends kindergarten. He is a bright, friendly, and active child, but underneath his outward demeanor is a child often afraid to be home with his mom and older brother.
He’s afraid because his mom struggles with an addiction to prescription drugs and alcohol, as well as mental health issues. She gave birth to her first child at 15, suffers from low self esteem, and has been in abusive relationships that have resulted in Little J witnessing several instances of domestic violence.
19). A Guide to Gourmet-Inspiring Gifts
Birthdays, bridal season – whatever the occasion, there’s no need to feel stumped about what to give friends or relatives who are celebrating special events. The popularity of online gift registries and the growing availability of professional-quality products leaves the guess work out of gift giving these days.
Cookware remains at the top of wish lists nationally, whether the individuals are just starting out or already accomplished cooks in the kitchen.
20). Latest Trend in Home Décor: Go Green
Homeowners who want to do something good for the environment, but feel overwhelmed by the task are turning to “green” home products as a way to help conserve natural resources and add beauty to their homes at the same time.
Architects and designers across the country report that clients are requesting, and in some cases requiring, that designers find new ways to “go green.
21). Summertime and the Livin’ is . . . Busy!
Traditionally, summertime is considered a more relaxing time. But as moms know well, as soon as they hear the words “schools out for summer,” the livin’ can be anything but easy. While kids take it easy throughout the summer, moms have to step up to the plate, dishing up meals and planning activities.
Moms know it can be more difficult getting kids to stick to a routine during summertime than the school year, and especially hard to corral their children to sit down for a meal.
22). Make Life Easier on Those Caring for Ailing Loved Ones
When Carl Pearson’s ailing mother could no longer live alone safely, he and his wife Rita brought her to their home in Dallas so they could care for her. Wanting to preserve his mother’s independence and protect the couple’s privacy, Pearson converted a billiard room in the remodeled garage into a spacious bedroom suite.
Initially, he thought the arrangement would work well, but soon the walking distance to use the bathroom inside the house became difficult and too risky.
23). Text Messaging: It’s Not Just for Kids
For dads and kids looking for a new way to say “Happy Mother’s Day” this year, take note that text messaging is growing in popularity, especially among moms. No longer just for kids, the first annual T9 Texting Outlook Survey found that 30 percent of moms send text messages from their cell phones.
As cell phones have become a mainstay for on-the-go moms, more and more moms are turning to text messaging over voice conversations for quick messages to check in with friends and family.
24). Youth Sports Teams “Pitch In” to Beat Childhood Cancer
When Brent Surman, coach of the Shetland Padres Pony League team of Murrieta, Calif., received his end-of-season gift from his team, he was touched.
Instead of a gift certificate or a plaque, the team made a donation in Coach Surman’s name to Coaches Curing Kids' Cancer to help fund pediatric cancer research.
"I was so moved by their gesture," said Coach Surman.
25). Simplify Summer with Technology
For many parents, summertime is anything but simple. Between monitoring kids’ out-of-school schedules, keeping up at the office and squeezing in time for fun, parents need all the help they can get to keep summer stress-free.
CompUSA, one of the nation’s leading technology resellers and retailers, has pinpointed tech-specific items that will give parents a break this summer.
26). Lessons in Laundry
It happens to all of us -- the day we realize we should have listened to our mothers. Some of us experience it at the dentist when we’re told we should have been flossing daily to prevent cavities, others with failed tests, or cooking mishaps. But, for many of us we have our first “I should have listened to my mother” moment in the laundry room.
27). Traveling with the Team? Some Helpful Hints
Even as families are enjoying the final weeks of summer vacation, middle school and high school sports teams are already back in training, getting ready for the fall season.
For many teams, that means traveling to tournaments in other parts of the state, sometimes even other parts of the country. Any parent who has every chaperoned one of these team trips knows that trying to keep 20 or so teenagers under control at all times is a lot like herding cats.
28). What’s in Your Back-to-School Survival Kit?
It’s true that a mother’s work is never done. From shuttling the kids everywhere from school to dance recitals to soccer practice to cooking, cleaning the house and load after load of laundry -- the list goes on and on. Most moms struggle to find just 20 minutes to themselves each day…let alone try to find the time to schedule in dinners with old friends or a romantic evening with their spouses.
29). Build Your Kids a Backyard Playground this Summer Without Spending a Fortune
Looking for something to do this summer that will not only be fun, but a great benefit for your family? How about building your kids a backyard playground set?
Research has found that playgrounds are essential not only to a child’s physical strength, but mental well-being. They help kids develop cognitive reasoning and problem-solving skills, and encourage them to use their imaginations and creativity.
30). Sunrooms: A Top Summer Home Improvement Project
Drive around any neighborhood in your hometown and chances are good you’ll see work trucks in your neighbors’ yards. With the kids home from school and life at a more casual pace, summer is one of the most popular times of year to take on a home improvement project.
According to Remodeling Magazine, during the summer months, the most popular projects are those that expand and enhance living space.
31). Keep Safety in Mind when Hitting the Road this Summer
With the summer travel season right around the corner, families are gearing up for road trips and vacations. You may spend weeks making sure the trip is organized and that your vehicle is road-ready. However, you may overlook important safety needs, such as having a fire extinguisher in your car.
Many Americans are unaware of the highway vehicle fire problem that exists in the United States.
32). Tips for Traveling with Kids this Summer
Summer family trips are a time-honored tradition. From a cross-country drive to visit the grandparents to a trip to a national park, for many folks, summer just wouldn’t be complete without the annual vacation.
As any parent knows, traveling with kids can be wonderful, sharing their excitement as they explore new places or reconnect with distant relatives.
33). Looking for a Way to Reduce Mowing Time?
If you feel like you have better things to do than mowing your lawn and are looking for a way to reduce mowing time, then a zero-turning-radius mower should be at the top of your “must-buy” list. That’s because zero-turning-radius mowers save time mowing and trimming since there’s no need to back up when cutting around trees and other objects around the yard.
34). Today’s Yoga Mamas Replace Soccer Moms
Sharon Cole was part of a frazzled mothers-only phenomenon that has gradually evolved Soccer Moms into Yoga Mamas. Her frantic zap of mini-van motherhood has gradually changed to a calm Zen that embraces all-natural products and organic foods, matching an emerging lifestyle that focuses on a “whole life.”
Yoga Mamas like Cole, middle-to-upper class mothers age 25 to 40, are more interested in attending yoga class and focusing on their natural inner spirit than obsessing about soccer schedules and stressing out their families.
35). Spice It Up with Asian Fusion
After decades of being satisfied with mild foods, American consumers are now craving bold flavors that pack a punch – hot and spicy, sweet and heat, and other interesting combinations.
Food experts say that Americans have become more diverse and are now better-traveled. Our food choices reflect this new lifestyle.
One of the biggest trends is the fusion of Asian and Western cuisine.
36). Don't Let Your Move Stress You Out – Five Simple Steps to Make it Easier
According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the weeks between early May and Labor Day weekend mark the busiest time of year to move. It’s estimated that more than 21 million Americans will move this summer. Some moves will go smoother than others, and while there’s no way to guarantee a problem-free experience, there are things you can do ahead of time to make the process easier.
37). HydroTherapy: The Ultimate Stress Reliever
With today’s kinetic multitasking lifestyle, it’s no wonder a recent study by the National Women’s Health Resource Center found that nine out of 10 adults have experienced serious stress, with four out of the 10 suffering adverse health affects as a direct result. Relief could be as close as the backyard.
Great for lounging with family and friends, hot tubs also offer warm-water therapy that provides proven physical and mental benefits.
38). New Generation of Camcorders Records Summer Memories Directly on DVD
From backyard barbecues and family reunions to graduations and weddings, summer is the season for making outdoor memories. But when autumn comes and the weather changes, those memories can start to fade. Instead of letting precious moments slip away, you can preserve them forever with a DVD camcorder, which combines the versatile capabilities of a camcorder with the unbeatable convenience of DVD media.
39). Giving Back to Your Biggest Backer: Dad
Once the news stories, greeting card commercials and aggressive retail sales wither, you might think the importance of nurturing a special bond with their fathers slips into the background for most Americans. But don’t you believe it.
Take a look at the number of Americans participating in traditional Dad-associated activities - such as fishing, camping and attending sporting events - and a picture emerges of a culture that values and nourishes the father-child bond all year round.
40). Gift Suggestions For The Dad Who Has Everything -- Except a Sense of Direction
Men might not ask for directions when they’re lost, but they will give directions on what they want for Father’s Day. High-tech gifts lead the list, and with summer vacation approaching, dads want technology to start the season off right.
According to Brian Woods, executive vice president and general merchandising manager for CompUSA, “With all the great high-tech helpers on the market, men don’t have any excuse for getting lost.
41). Make Gardening a Family Affair
School’s out! So now what do you do with the kids for the next three months that doesn’t cost a fortune? Why not teach them to garden? From preparing the soil to selecting the plants and watering them to watching them grow, gardening is great wholesome entertainment the whole family can enjoy.
To ensure children enjoy gardening, it’s important to plan for a good experience and plant the seeds for success early on.
42). Planning Outdoor Living Areas?
With the popularity of outdoor living and the design trend of bringing the indoors out, many style-conscious homeowners are taking cues from interior design to plan their outdoor “rooms.”
“The line between indoor and outdoor spaces is blurring, and the overall trend is to create a seamless flow between the areas,” says Ann Sundet, an Allied ASID interior designer who has appeared on national home decorating television programs.
43). Are You a Member of America’s Most Exciting Church Choir?
Ask any churchgoer what their favorite part of the service is, and a majority is likely to say “the music.” In fact, a new survey finds music to be a source of spiritual inspiration both in, and out of, church. The survey, conducted by Voices of Joy this month, revealed that 68 percent of fervent church goers (those who attend church at least once a week) find music to be the most enjoyable aspect of the church service.
44). Keep Your Memories Alive After the Honeymoon
When they get back from the honeymoon, most couples end up stashing their wedding mementoes away in boxes, but not Linda McAleer of Plainfield, Ill. “My wedding was such a wonderful experience, I want to relive it every day,” she says.
She and her husband, Rick, got married on a boat as it sailed down the Intracoastal Waterway off Ft. Lauderdale, Fla.
45). How Youth Sports Help Kids Excel
From playing little league at the local ball field to hitting tennis balls at the park, youth sports are a great way for kids to be active and have fun at the same time. If they start early, they’ll develop healthy habits that will benefit them for a lifetime.
For parents who want to encourage their children to be active and get involved in team sports, here are some recommended tips:
Challenge - Set goals and keep challenging your kids so they don’t get bored.
46). Technology Continues to Impact How We Talk to Our Teens
When you were a teenager, you and your friends probably passed notes to each other, talked on the phone every night, and compared notes about being yelled at by your respective parents for spending too much time on the phone.
Today’s teenagers use cell phones, text messaging, instant messaging (IM) and chat rooms to catch up with each other.
47). Summertime Lemonade Life Lessons
This summer parents are finding clever ways to teach their kids valuable life lessons -- through lemonade. Instead of letting your kids waste away their summer vacations playing video games, encourage them to start up a small business by running a good old-fashioned lemonade stand.
From creating posters to setting up the lemonade stand to squeezing the lemons, kids will get to see firsthand how their hard work can pay off.
48). Room Redesign: Teens Can Do it Themselves
In some ways, decorating a baby’s room couldn’t be easier. The room’s primary occupant really doesn’t have much to say about the décor. Enter the teen years. Now, she hates the pink carpet and floral curtains you thought were precious beyond words. He’s into Japanese anime, and your clever pirate theme makes him want to walk the plank.
49). Texting the Summer Away With Your Teen
It’s summertime! School’s out and teens are spending their days swimming, hanging out with friends and working at summer jobs. No longer spending much of their days at school, teens are harder to keep up with, making a cell phone vital for both parents and teens. Not just for talking, but for typing and sending text messages to stay in touch.
50). Caring for Aging Parents Puts Boomers in a Bind
You’re rushing out of the office on a weeknight, hoping to get your daughter to soccer practice on time, cook dinner and help your other child with their homework. Just as you hit the road, your cell phone rings. It’s the pharmacy telling you that the two prescriptions your father needs immediately are ready for pick up. Or you’re off to your son’s school play just as your mom’s neighbor calls to inform you that she has fallen again and needs you right away.
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