"How To" know if you have the flu

Staying healthy during the winter/flu season is so important. The flu is spread so quickly and more and more people are getting diagnosed with it every day. Today, doctor offices are giving flu vaccines to children as young as 6 months old. The flu is a common name for the influenza which is a virus that affects the respiratory system. The flu virus spreads through the air when a person who has the virus sneezes, coughs, or speaks. The flu can even be passed on if a person touches an object that someone with the virus sneezed or coughed on. Flu usually spreads in schools and then the students spread it to their friends and family.

Flu symptoms like a headache, fever, chills, muscle aches, and dry cough usually appear anywhere from 1 to 4 days after a person has been exposed to the flu virus. Someone with the flu can have a temperature as high as 104 degrees. People with the flu often feel achy and exhausted and may lose their appetite. If you get the flu, the best way to take care of yourself is to rest in bed and drink lots of liquids, like water. You should also stay home from school until you feel better and your temperature has returned to normal. Antibiotics don't help people with the flu get better because they don't work on viruses. Be sure to stay healthy, always wash your hands and get as much rest as possible to prevent your self from getting the flu this season. Remember to bundle up and stay warm!

"How To" cope with pimples

All teenagers get pimples throughout their teen years. We all know it is tempting, but popping or squeezing a pimple won't necessarily get rid of the problem. Squeezing can actually push bacteria and pus deeper into the skin. This can cause more swelling and redness. Squeezing can also lead to scabs and may leave you with permanent pits or scars. Since popping isn't the way cope with pimples, patience is the key. Your pimple will disappear on its own. If you are patient and leave it alone, you're less likely to be left with any reminders that it was there. A health magazine said that if you want to dry a pimple up faster, apply 5% benzoyl peroxide gel or cream once or twice a day. You can buy this over the counter at your local drugstore. Each season will also bring out more or less pimples, so that is normal. Also, if you are constantly eating greasy foods you will see more pimples. Try and stay away from these foods and eat more grilled and natural things. Always remember, don't pop but be patient!

"How To" find the right recipes

Choosing a recipe can make or break your dish. It is important to find an easy and delicious recipe and there are different places in which you can locate them. First go to family. Grandma always has her famous delicious pasta or cookie recipes. Next, cookbooks are all over and there are millions of them in stores. Food, fitness and women's magazines are the place to look if you are on a diet or watching what you eat. These magazines are also good to look in if you like to eat organic foods. TV cooking shows are also ideal. They not only give a recipe but they also give a demonstration. If you watch cooking shows on the food network, you can retrieve these recipes online as well. Some schools also offer cooking classes that you may be interested to take part in.

Once you found a few recipes you like, keep them organized. You can store these recipes in a box, folder, or notebook. Once you have a bunch of them, you can start categorize them into separate categories like meat, vegetables, cookies, etc.

"How To" keep the kitchen in order

The holidays are approaching so fast and the season will be here before you know it. It is important to have the kitchen in order to relieve stress and get on with holiday cooking and baking. Be sure to choose recipes that aren't too complicated when you first start cooking. The first thing to do is to read the recipe through from beginning to end before you start. Make sure you have the right ingredients, utensils and appliances before you start cooking. It is important to understand all directions so you do not make a mistake. Assemble and measure out all ingredients before you start to stay organized. Time is the most important principle in cooking. I always like to make sure I have more than enough time to cook and save time for mistakes. Lastly, an apron is a good idea to protect your clothes from getting dirty. Always wash your hands with soap and warm water before any food preparation. Have fun and be safe while in the kitchen. During the holiday season my dad usually puts Christmas music on in my house to get the holiday spirit kicking !

"How To" manage time

Time Management is a problem that most college students deal with. Procrastination is the number one reason why most assignments are not completed. There are many ways in which one can avoid this procrastination and manage the time you may have each day. The first piece of advice on how to manage your time is to write down a list of the number of tasks you need to accomplish. Then set priorities for each task and be realistic. Always remember to keep track of your progress and make sure nothing is forgotten. Managing time in 15-increments helps because in between are break times to eat or do something that you may enjoy. Pulling "all-nighters" doesn't always work for anyone because this drains out the body. Being energized and awake are the best times to get work done.

"How To" stay warm this winter

The winter is arriving before we know it. The cold is creeping up on us without any time to prepare for it. This blog will give you some pointers on how to prepare for this cold weather that is closely coming upon us. The best advice would be to move out west to a place that has winter's of 75 degrees, no snow or ice and no humidity. But, we all can't do that so here are some ways to keep your house warmer this winter. Firstly, you should be sure to close all your windows properly to prevent a draft. If there is a draft, put up heavy curtains to absorb the cold air. Exercise is a solution to every problem. Exercising and being active can help your body stay warm, and prevent your body from getting sick. Always be sure to dress warmly and wear layers of cold, especially in the peak times of the winter. Cooking and drinking warm beverages helps keep your home warm and keeps the heat moving. These are only a few ways to help your self get through the cold winters that feel like they are never going to end. Remember: exercise, eat right, sleep and vitamins are the 4 essentials of the day that will help you get through this winter. Stay warm.

"How To" take good notes

Note-Taking is very important during college. Good notes will always be a keep sake for you for future reference. In my high school, St. Joseph Hill Academy, they taught me very good note-taking skills. Laptops were mandatory and in most classes we used them to take notes on. This helped me become organized, learn how to type and I also learned how to listen, understand and type down important key facts at the same time. Now I still have all my notes saved from high school on my laptop if I ever needed to refer to them.

Some tips on how to take good notes are to write down key-facts as I said before, don't overdo it and go crazy writing down every word your professor says, always ask if you missed an important point. After class it is beneficial if you organize your notes to make them more understandable. Also, if you have poor handwriting, typing or re-writing them is a good idea to make studying and reviewing easier.

Note-Taking is a skill that everyone will eventually master. It just takes time, practice and developing your own technique. Whether you learned how to take notes in high school as I had or if you are just learning now in college, you will use this task for the rest of your life even when you enter the career world.