Trends – Planking

Games, ,

Planking is a trend that has taken off really only in the last year or so even though it is said to have been invented more than 10 years ago. Planking is a simple thing – in essence you just go out, lie face down somewhere with your hands at the sides of your body, get someone to take a photograph of you in this position and post the photograph on the internet.

In the height of it’s popularity in early 2011, the craze was to carry out planking in the most strange or even dangerous places. This actually led to some deaths of people taking part in planking including the death of a man in Brisbane after planking on a 7th floor balcony. There are other deaths that have been rumoured to be related to planking but it is difficult to prove if this is the case.

Many cases of planking can be found in video format on YouTube as well as participants posting photos of themselves on facebook and other social networking sites.

No doubt planking is a trend that will fizzle out and other strange stunts will be thought of instead in the quest to be the next social media fad.

Ikea Furniture

Home & Garden,

For many people Ikea furniture is the default option when furnishing a new house or apartment. I know that I myself have furnished at least 3 places almost wholly with Ikea furniture. So what is it that ikea have got that others fail to replicate?

Well in my opinion, Ikea have got the mix of design and price just right. You can get stylish furniture at sometimes dirt cheap prices. OK, so you may have to put the furniture together yourself (or some stores do offer a service where they will build your furniture for you for a fee or if you spend a certain amount in store) but once you get the idea of how to build one bit of Ikea furniture, you are pretty much an expert in putting any of it together!

The design side of Ikea furniture is really clever – the pieces of furniture that they sell are often very simple in style and design but at the same time modern and fashionable. You can easily furnish a bachelor pad with Ikea furniture but equally you can furnish a family home and both will come out looking great.

The other thing is with Ikea furniture that is is functional. So if you just want a few functional pieces to add to your home then it is a great place to go – and you can easily mix it with your existing furniture.

Furniture – Sleep Number Bed

Home & Garden,

So if you are looking for a new bed then you may have come across the concept of the sleep number bed. This is a bed that you can adjust to your own preference in mattress softness and it will adjust to fit your body. But not only that, the sleep number bed can also help where couple like different types of mattress – for example if one of you likes a hard mattress and the other likes a soft – or if one of you has back problems or is pregnant then the sleep number bed can adjust just one side of the bed to suit you.

The concept of the sleep number bed is that everyone has a favorite setting (sleep number) between 1 and 100 and the mattress is adjusted to that sleep number on each side.

The sleep number beds are said to be able to give a better night’s sleep to many people – including those that have problems due to: change in sleep patterns due to age, back problems, those with snoring problems and also during pregnancy when you are advised to sleep on your left side (which may be different to how you usually sleep). You can adjust the sleep number to fit any of your circumstances.

So if you want a great piece of furniture for your bedroom then it might be worth considering the sleep number bed.

Walgreens Blood Pressure Tests

Health,

One of the most important things to have checked on a regular basis is your blood pressure. Whether you are worried about high or low blood pressure or if you really have no idea of what your blood pressure is, it is good to have it checked at least once a year, if not more.

However, most people will not go to their doctor to get their blood pressure checked unless they are going for some other reason, and so often high or low blood pressure might go untreated.

So it was good news when earlier this year, as announced on the Oprah Winfrey show, that Walgreens would be giving free blood pressure tests  at their stores and clinics throughout the US for a week in January. Thousands of people took them up on their offer and it was a good bit of promotion for the fact that you can go and get a blood pressure test at the Walgreens clinics.

As well as blood pressure testing at the clinics, Walgreens also sell many products that can monitor your blood pressure for you on a regular basis, if you do find out that you have a problem. In addition to this they also sell natural remedies for keeping blood pressure at the right level as well as obviously doctor prescribed medication.

So if you think you may have an issue with your blood pressure (or even if you don’t but you have not had it checked for a while) then go and get it checked at your doctor’s or your local Walgreen clinic.

Poison Ivy Symptoms

Health,

Poison ivy rash is one of the most common rashes that you can get and can cause a lot of discomfort. The poison ivy plant contains an oil (urushiol) in all parts of the plant and it is this oil that causes an allergic reaction and hence the rash.

Symptoms of the poison ivy allergic rash include red marks on the skin in the form of blisters, streaks or bumps, sometimes filled with fluid. The rash is usually very itchy. These marks are often in lines as this is how the plant will touch the skin as you move past it.

If you have not had a poison ivy rash before then sometimes it can take quite a while for the symptoms to appear (as much as a couple of weeks) – so even if you have not been anywhere where there is poison ivy for a while you could still have a poison ivy rash. Once you have had the rash though, the symptoms will more likely appear much quicker on the next occasion.

If the rash stays for more than 2 weeks or there are other symptoms that accompany it (headaches, fever, or anything else that might give concern) then you should see your doctor as you may need further treatment.