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Fun in the Kitchen

Do you love to cook? Well, even if you don’t, here are some ways that you can have fun in the kitchen.

One of my favorite ways to have fun in the kitchen is to have unique kitchen gadgets and fun-colored small appliances. There are a few popular brands that make an awesome array of different colored small appliances to appease anyone looking for something a little “different.”

There are also a number of lesser-known brands from other countries such as France and Finland that make really adorable kitchen items that definitely ramp up the fun factor.

Another great way to have fun in the kitchen is to get your kids involved! Babies love to sit on the floor while you cook and play with pots and pans, while kids as young as 3 can learn to crack an egg or pour and mix for you. Elementary school-aged children can really be a lot of help to you, with very specific safety instructions and close supervision they can learn how to chop veggies and fruits, measure ingredients, and read to you from a cookbook so you don’t have to keep wiping your hands off before you touch the book. If you still don’t like cooking by the time these trained tiny chefs go to Middle school, well, maybe they can take over the cooking for you!

My last suggestion for you to help you have more fun in the kitchen is to get some gadgets that you don’t really need, but ones that make your life easier. Personally, my favorite kitchen gadget is my stand mixer, which I definitely don’t need, but it comes in handy now and again, and it always looks beautiful sitting on my kitchen counter. My sister is a little more practical, her favorite kitchen gadget is a margarita maker. It gets significantly more use than my stand mixer, and everyone gets excited when she brings it out of the pantry and yells “Margarita Time!!!” If we’re really being honest here, maybe my sister is the one you should be asking for advice on how to have fun in the kitchen!

I hope this article has encouraged you to try some of my strategies for having fun in the kitchen. If you’re interested in getting some items to help you with cooking at home head on over to DealDash. DealDash has food processors, stand mixers, cookware, and plenty of other items that you can use. Check out the Kitchen & Appliances category and I’m sure that you’ll find something that you can use to make your time in the kitchen a little more fun. Good luck and happy bidding everyone!

Living Healthy: Let’s Learn About Fitness Equipment

Welcome back to DealDash Blog’s Living Healthy series. Today’s blog is going to introduce you to some pieces of fitness equipment and tell you how to use them.

Let’s start out with everyone’s favorite, the treadmill. Treadmills are the indoor motorized equivalent of walking or running in place. You simply keep up with a belt that’s moving under your feet. Your treadmill workout will burn about the same number of calories as walking or running outdoors, yet in your lovely air conditioned and internet equipped house.

If you’re getting on a treadmill for the first time, or even more importantly if you’re someone who hasn’t had any strenuous physical activity for at least three months, it’s recommended that you begin with walking. By training consistently (initially twice a week and then three times a week), you can gradually increase the intensity of your exercise by increasing your speed and incline.

Next up is the exercise bike. The exercise bike is a piece of exercise equipment having handlebars, pedals, and seat like a bicycle, and you pedal and stay in a stationary place, which is why is is also sometimes called a stationery bike. The exercise bike comes in both computerized and non-computerized versions. Computerized exercise bikes typically have digital displays that let you know how many calories you’ve burned and how much distance you’ve cycled. Some even have the technology for evaluating your heart rate and speed. If you like to have a calorie count, a computerized model may be for you. However, a non-computerized model will help you to burn calories just as well (You just won’t know how much you’ve burned!)

As with the treadmill, if you haven’t been exercising regularly then start slowly.If you strain yourself, you will be in too much pain to want to work out the next day. Start with 15 minutes on the bike, but understand that it’s okay to stop earlier if it becomes too much for you. Eventually, your legs will get used to the workout, and it will be more comfortable to do the entire 15 minutes. Gradually work up to 30 minutes on the bike. Once you are comfortable at this level, work towards a goal of spending one hour on the exercise bike, five days per week.

The last piece of exercise equipment that we are going to talk about today is the rower, or rowing machine. An indoor rower is a machine used to simulate the action of watercraft rowing for the purpose of exercise or training for rowing. In addition to being a great strength training exercise, rowing is an intense calorie-burning exercise. Although new rowers with less ability and training will burn fewer calories, the rowing machine is an excellent piece of exercise equipment for use in a weight-loss program.

If you are a total beginner with the indoor rower, please watch some YouTube videos to learn the proper form, I have included a link to one at the end of this article. If you use the rower improperly you can give yourself a back injury. After you have learned the proper form for rowing, shoot for 15 minute sessions at a 1-3 level of resistance. After you have mastered this, try to work yourself up to 30 minutes at a 3-5 level of resistance.

I hope this article has encouraged you to think about your health and how different pieces of exercise equipment could benefit your fitness. If you’re interested in getting some items to get you started head on over to DealDash. DealDash has all of the pieces of equipment that we talked about, as well as water bottles, mats, and plenty of other items that you can use to get healthy. Check out the Hobbies, Outdoors, & Sports category and I’m sure that you’ll find something that you just love. Good luck and happy bidding everyone!

Having Good Habits in the Office

Having good work habits in the office, or even the home office can benefit everyone.

Are you the type of person who can get to work and immediately get down to business? Or are you more like the rest of the population and need a little encouragement to get you going? Well, in this article I am going to try and share a little bit of what I have learned about having good work habits.

Keep your area neat and tidy – Keeping your desk space clean, neat, and orderly is very important for a few reasons. Namely, it’s much easier to have a clear and organized mind when your desk space is clean and ready for you to get to work. A great way to keep your desk neat and tidy is to get a desk organizer to hold all of your pens, post-it notes, and other small items.

Punctuality – Being on time for work (or even a little early) is a great trait for any employee to have. To be successful you should have already put your things away and gotten your coffee and be ready to sit down and work when you are due to start, not rushing in the door at the very last minute. This also applies to working at home, too. If you have the luxury of being able to work at home you should treat your home office with as much respect as you would treat a regular office, and keep regular hours.

Personality and Teamwork – Having a positive attitude and being willing to work as a team with your colleagues is a very important work habit to have. When you get to the office in the morning try and imagine yourself having a great day before it even starts. Try to greet your co-workers cheerfully and be willing to help out on projects. If you are able to achieve these feats then you are well on your way to having a great day at work.

I hope this article helps you on a journey to better work habits. If you’re interested in getting some new items for your office or home office, head on over to DealDash. If you browse the Home & Office category I’m sure that you’ll find something that you just love. Good luck and happy bidding everyone!

Baby Talk: What Should a New Mom Bring to the Hospital?

No matter if you are a first-time mom or a mom of many (or a dad or grandparent!) it’s smart to be prepared with a bag packed to take to the hospital when it’s time to deliver the new baby.

There are many things that you are going to need to pack into the bag to go to the hospital, but the very first thing that you are going to need is a bag, of course! I suggest using a duffle-style bag instead of a suitcase. I feel that a duffle bag is much easier to store when you don’t need it anymore, as well as being useful for many other things such as for sports/gym, trip to the beach, etc.

The first few things that I would advise you to pack in your hospital bag are some comfortable PJs or nightgown, robe, thick comfortable socks, and slippers. Of course the hospital will provide you a hospital gown to wear while you are there, but they are thin, scratchy, and uncomfortable. And besides that, you aren’t sick, you’re having a baby! There’s no reason why you can’t be cute and comfortable in your own clothing instead of the hospital-issued ones.

The hospital will also provide a hat, blanket, and tiny gown for your baby to wear. These items are great keepsakes, and very serviceable for your baby to wear while you are there. You might want to pack a special outfit for them to wear to leave the hospital, though, especially if you know the grandparents will be waiting with the camera to take a bunch of pictures.

Speaking of pictures, it’s a great idea to bring a digital camera and camcorder to the hospital with you. Most people have cell phones to take pictures and video, but I find that the quality is just not as good as a full-sized digital camera and/or camcorder can provide. Trust me, you will take tons of pictures and video, and you will want to cherish these memories forever.

You may or may not want to bring your own toiletries. The hospital will provide them for you, but they are definitely not high quality, and I was very glad that I packed my own toothbrush/paste, hairbrush, lip balm, and deodorant. If your baby’s father is going to be staying the night with you at the hospital be sure that he packs toiletries, too!

After reading this article I hope that you have a better idea of what types of things that a new mom should be bringing to the hospital when she gives birth. How about starting your hospital bag shopping on DealDash? They have all types of items in many different categories there, check out the Toys, Kids, & Baby section to find some awesome products. Good luck and happy bidding everyone!

Baby Talk: Dinner Time!

Figuring out when to switch your baby from milk or formula and puréed baby food to table foods can be a tricky thing. With the right information and tools you can make the transition easily and keep your baby happy and healthy.

If you were to ask your pediatrician, she or he would probably recommend that you begin to transition your baby from jarred (or homemade) baby food to table foods around 9 months of age. The goal is to have your baby mostly eating table foods rather than formula and baby foods by the time they hit their first birthday. Of course, every child is different, some get their teeth sooner or later than others do, and some children are more food-motivated than their peers. The idea isn’t to force your baby into something they aren’t ready for – the goal is a healthy baby who is happy to eat a variety of foods.

The transition from baby food to table food can be a bit of an adjustment for some children and their parents. Some babies are happy to eat the jarred baby food, and some (like my daughter!) just couldn’t wait to eat table foods and would grab at just about anything on a plate that she could get her sticky little hands on. A fear that many parents have is the fear of their child choking. It instills a bit of terror in the hearts of many Moms and Dads everywhere. Here is a list of foods that can help ease the transition and help keep everyone happy.

1- Fresh fruit. Peeled and cut up into small pieces fresh fruit makes a great first table food. Apples and pears are great hand foods for your child to handle as long as they are cut up into small pieces. These are delicious and totally healthy, too.

2- Vegetables. Steamed and cut up into small pieces vegetables are a big hit with a lot of kids. Some other veggies to try are mashed regular or sweet potatoes, sweet potato french fries baked in the oven, steamed broccoli or green beans, and just about every kid loves peas, fresh or even frozen.

3- Carbs. Toast, waffles, pancakes, bagels, pasta… All tasty, and just about all kids love them. These will probably be big hits at first as the flavors won’t be too over powering.

4- Breakfast foods. In addition to the carbs mentioned above, other breakfast foods such as cereal (dry or wet), scrambled eggs, and even tiny pieces of bacon can be a tasty treat for your little one.

If you’re still a bit wary of making a plate of table food for your baby and turning them loose, there are some different products made to make the transition easier for you and your little one. Here are some of the most popular options:

Baby Food Grinder: You can grind softer foods like bananas, pasta, steamed veggies, avocado. Put a small amount of anything that you are eating into the grinder and turn the arm and it is ground up and ready for your little one to eat. Because it grinds the foods into such small particles there is little worry of your little one choking.

Mash and Serve Bowl: You can mash foods like potatoes, beans, steamed veggies, fruits, eggs. You mash the food and serve your child right from the bowl, eliminating dirtying up and extra dish.

Fresh Food Feeder: You can put just about anything from fresh fruits to meat into the mesh bag and let your child feed themselves. This is also great when they are teething, you can put frozen fruit into it to help with teething pains.

After reading this article I hope that you have a better idea of when and how to switch your baby over to table foods. If you are in need of anything for your baby, including kitchen items check out DealDash. Try the Toys, Kids, & Baby section to see what awesome baby products they have coming up. Good luck and happy bidding everyone!