We all know by now that coronavirus is incredibly contagious. And you’ve certainly heard the very important guidelines on how best to avoid the spread of COVID-19: 1) Wash your hands, 2) Avoid touching your face, 2) Maintain social distance, and 4) Keep your home surfaces clean and disinfect frequently. But which surfaces are most conducive for COVID-19, and therefore, most important to disinfect? If you’ve been wondering how long coronavirus can stay on plastic water bottles, cardboard boxes, and other household items you’re encountering every day, a brand-new study published in the New England Journal of Medicine has the answers.
Scientists from the National Institutes of Health (NIH), the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), UCLA, and Princeton University attempted to mimic the coronavirus being deposited from an infected person onto everyday surfaces (like through coughing or touching objects). Then they investigated how long the virus remained infectious on those surfaces. Here’s what they found.
Plastic surfaces are one of the most conducive for coronavirus. The study shows that the virus can live for up to 72 hours on plastic.
So any plastic surfaces you have in your home—cutting boards, shampoo bottles, kitchen utensils, etc.—should be your highest priority to keep clean.
What kitchen isn’t complete without stainless steel appliances? Unfortunately though, stainless steel surfaces are also very conducive to coronavirus, as the study shows that it can live for up to 72 hours on your refrigerator and dishwasher handles and stainless steel cookware as well.
Those Amazon boxes laying around your garage and front door? Turns out they present a furtive place for coronavirus to exist. According to the study, coronavirus can live on cardboard for up to 24 hours. That also means your paper towel and toilet paper rolls can contain the virus for the same amount of time.
Copper is not the most common surface in one’s home, and fortunately, pennies are now mostly made from zinc. But how conducive is copper for coronavirus? Not very. The study shows that the virus can live on copper for up to four hours.
Of course, air is not a surface. But “aerosol” transmission of coronavirus has been something of a controversy. The World Health Organization (WHO) has claimed that “COVID-19 is mainly transmitted through contact with respiratory droplets rather than through the air.” But liquid particulates of COVID-19 do continue to live in the air for up to three hours, according to this study.
To lower the number on the scale, you’ve got to take in fewer calories than usual. But just because this seems like a simple formula doesn’t mean it’s an easy one to follow. Weight loss results can be thwarted by cutting too much in the calorie department, cutting too little, or simply not cutting in the right places. That’s why we talked to Jim White, RD, ACSM, and owner of Jim White Fitness Nutrition Studios to clear things up.
Daily caloric needs are different for every person, so don’t expect your sweet spot to match your workout partner’s or your best friend’s.
It’s particular to you and you alone, and that’s because we all have our own Basal Metabolic Rate (BMR). According to Healthline, this number can be found by using the Harris-Benedict formula. This formula is split by gender.
For even more accuracy, you should multiply your BMR by another number that’s based on your activity level. So multiply by:
Depending on where you fall in there, White says you could lose one pound of body fat a week if you subtract 500 calories per day (or 3,500 calories per week) from this number.
For example, if you’re a woman whose BMR is 1,500 and you’re moderately active, that’s 2,325 calories a day. To drop a digit on the scale, you’ll need to subtract 500 calories from that total amount, as White suggests. This means eating 1,825 calories a day.
But that doesn’t mean you should be chugging sodas and eating brownies on the reg as long as you fall under this calorie ceiling. All calories are not made equal, and a study in JAMA found that people who ate a low-carb diet lost more weight than those who ate the same calories on a low-fat diet. So, consider eating more healthy fats and make sure the calories you consume aren’t just adding up to your weekly goal, but doing your body favors in other ways.
Be careful never to let your calories drop below 8,400 calories a week, though. This is the equivalent of only 1,200 calories a day and, according to White, this can have the opposite effect on your weight.
“When you’re not eating enough calories, your metabolism can slow down, you don’t have enough energy for workouts, and you’re more likely to binge eat,” he says, something he refers to as starvation mode.
A study published in Psychosomatic Medicine only drills this in further because in the study, people following severe low-calorie diets didn’t lose long-term weight because their body produced excess cortisol, a hormone that signals your body to store fat, especially in the abdomen.
Don’t let your diet backfire like that; be mindful and follow the BMR guidelines that help you with the proper calorie amount to eat every day.
A man with a heavenly start
Came to the earth when the clouds did part.
He lived among the saints and the sinners
He preached so we all could be eternal winners.
Temptation he withstood
Aways taught us to be like we should.
Anger and deceit finally took reign
No one to stop death for him, he took the blame.
You could hear whispers of his holy name.
Faultless he bore it all
So we all could be with him, and rise up tall.
He was laid in a tomb in a poor sort of way
Then he miraculously arose from the grave, in three days.
My! my Savior can walk with me
He can talk to me
And he tells me I am his own.
Praise be to His Holy Name, and to his throne.
He is Alive!
By MwsR❤️
Change, by MwsR
When the time comes that you reflect over your life and things you’ve done
Will you see someone smart or someone dumb?
Those things you thought were fun,
The things that you swore hurt no one.
Were they worth it?
Were they proper or were they like that of a nitwit?
Are the ones that stood with you now standing apart?
You already know the answer because it is deep in your heart.
Time can’t erase certain deeds, certain paths you chose, the things left undone,
You can’t blame that on anyone.
Certain people let you down, you say
I’m certain they would not see it that way!
No one controls your spontaneous combustion,
It is certainly your life, not theirs that needs constant adjustment.
Go ahead smell all those “roses”,
Hang around all those that constantly poses,
But when that gets old or you find some other venue
Maybe you will see what you’ve put those that love you through.
It’s hard to be happy when you’re playing catch up all the time
Trust me, I’ve seen that with friends of mine.
Think before you act
Always leave things intact.
Don’t refuse to pay back anyone who’s lent you a hand
Take the praise and the reprimand.
Swallow your pride,
Keep your mouth closed from the inside.
Listen to reason,
Be willing to change the wrong things just like the months change the season.
“And you will be a man, my son.” (If, by Rudyard Kipling”)
Easter is a time when we come together to celebrate family, friendship, and faith. And no matter what the Easter Bunny brings, you can always treasure the memories you and your loved ones make on this special holiday. From gathering around the table to catch up with everyone to discovering who in the family is best at Easter egg art, there are so many opportunities to cherish the day.
This year, make Easter Sunday extra special by taking part in a few festive Easter games that go beyond the traditional Easter egg hunt. Some of these Easter games take a few hours to set up, while others you can play on a whim. The best part? Anyone from toddlers to grandparents can join in the fun.
Though this is one of the simplest Easter games, it’s also a ton of fun. To prep, fill plastic Easter eggs with confetti, or, if you’re willing to play outside, water. Have players pair up and toss the eggs back and forth. If a duo drops their egg, they’re out. The last pair standing wins.
The best part about this game is that it can be adapted to any number of players (as long as you’ve got an even number) and works great for ages three and up. Just make sure that players stand closer together if there are younger kids partaking in the holiday fun. Afterward, you can watch one of these classic Easter movies.
Here’s an Easter game that will have everyone laughing by the end. Before your party, write a few funny commands on slips of paper, i.e., “Hop like a bunny 10 times,” “Name five things you might find in an Easter basket,” or “Take all of the remaining eggs out of your basket one by one and then put them back.” Put each slip of paper inside a plastic egg, and divide the eggs evenly into two baskets.
To play, split your group into two teams and have them line up across the room (or yard) from the baskets. On the count of three, the first person on each team runs up to the basket, selects an egg, and performs the action inside that egg. Once they’ve completed the action, they run back and tap the next team member. The first team to finish their basket wins. You’ll want to have anywhere from six to twelve players, ages seven and up.
This Easter game is just like Jenga, only with Peeps! To play, place a coaster in the middle of your table and put a Peep on it. (Make sure you buy the flat bunny Peeps, not the lumpy chick ones). Players take turns adding Peeps to the pile until the pile falls over. And, of course, the person who causes that to happen is out.
No list of Easter games would be complete without this picnic classic. Each player places a hard-boiled egg on a spoon and holds it in their mouth. On the count of three, each player races to the finish line, trying to keep the egg balanced. The first person to make it to the finish line with their egg still intact wins. This is a great way to utilize all those eggs you dyed!
Jelly beans are the MVP of Easter candies, and they are perfect for playing all sorts of Easter games. For this game, each player gets one empty bowl, one bowl filled with jelly beans, and one spoon. The challenge: Put the spoon in your mouth and use it to move all of the jelly beans from the jelly bean bowl to the empty bowl. The first person to do that wins. (Of course, in the end, everyone gets to eat them.) This game can be played with kids ages four and up, in any size group (while jelly beans last).
This is a fun Easter twist on bocce ball that you can easily create at home. To prep, hard boil some eggs—you’ll need four for each player, plus one extra. (You can also use a set of wooden eggs from the craft store). Keep one of the eggs white and dye the others in colored sets of four. Roll (or toss) the white egg onto the lawn, and take turns rolling the colored eggs to see who can get the closest to the white egg without touching it.
This is an exciting twist on the classic Easter egg hunt. To play, buy an easy (this is key!) Easter-themed puzzle and some plastic eggs. Place one piece of the puzzle in each egg and hide them around the house or yard. Everyone searches for the eggs and puts the puzzle together as they find each piece. This game is great for kids ages seven and up.
Of course, every Easter Bunny needs a ton of carrots. But all you need for this cute game is two big Easter baskets and a pile of carrots. Divide your group into two teams and have them toss the carrots into the baskets. Whichever team gets the most carrots in their basket wins. This is one of those Easter games that’s great for younger kids, ages one to five.
This little game will get everyone in the family giggling. Each player gets a bowl full of cotton balls (or bunny tails, if you will). Everyone puts a small amount of Vaseline on their nose and tries to move the cotton balls out of their bowl with just their nose. Whoever moves all of the cotton balls out of the bowl first wins. For larger groups, you can split into teams and do it relay style. This Easter game is best for ages six and up, and works for any size group—just make sure you buy enough cotton balls!
It’s actually pretty easy to turn a regular set of toy bowling pins into bunny bowling pins (like these, by Handmade Charlotte). Set them up in your yard and see who can knock down the most. For an extra Easter twist, you could use dyed hard-boiled eggs instead of a plastic ball. The game is perfect for kids ages six and up and works wonderfully with groups of two to ten players.
This party classic is perfect for any Easter gathering. To play, hang a paper bunny on the wall. Players take turns being blindfolded and trying to pin the bunny tail on the Easter Bunny’s rump. You can buy a Pin the Tail on the Easter Bunny set, or, if you’re feeling creative, you can draw one of your own!
Here’s a great way to get everyone moving and grooving outside. Use a picture of a bunny and a piece of cardboard to make a chalk bunny template. Use sidewalk chalk and your template to draw a few bunnies all around your driveway or another safe concrete area. Start by having everyone hop from bunny to bunny. Then have everyone dance from bunny to bunny. Then have everyone skip from bunny to bunny. Take suggestions from the kids for more movement ideas—and don’t forget to put on some fun tunes to make this game even more exciting.
If you want your Easter games to be educational, this one is a winner. Take some plastic eggs and use a Sharpie to write uppercase letters on one half, and the corresponding lowercase letters on the other half. Twist the eggs to mix them up, and challenge your kiddos to match the letters together. It’s the perfect game for any youngster still learning their letters. The Alphabet Easter Egg Game is recommended for ages four to six and can be played with groups of one to five kids.
Once your Easter egg hunt is over, chances are you’ll have a bunch of empty plastic eggs leftover. That’s the perfect opportunity to have an Easter egg tower-building contest! Stack egg halves on top of each other, and see who can build the tallest tower without it falling down.
This printable game is easy as pie to set up. Print out the game boards and distribute them to players. Give each player a little bowl filled with jellybeans, cereal, or some other type of candy. Everyone puts one piece on each square of the board. One person is “it” and leaves the room. The remaining players decide which square is “the Peep.” Once that’s decided, the player who’s “it” comes back into the room; their job is to find “the Peep” by eating pieces of candy one square at a time. If they eat the piece of candy on the Peep square, everyone else yells “Don’t eat the Peep!” This is a great game for younger kids (ages three to seven) who will think yelling “Don’t eat the Peep!” is hilarious.
This is a classic improv game that is perfectly on brand for Easter. Have everyone form a circle. Each player pats their hands on their laps to a moderate beat, while saying “oomba” together. Then, on the beat, the first “leader” (select this person in advance) makes bunny ears with their fingers and points them toward themselves twice, and then (making eye contact) they point their bunny fingers toward another player, while saying “Bunny, bunny. Bunny, bunny.”
That player then becomes the leader, and repeats the motion, passing to another player. Once you’ve got the hang of passing the bunny fingers around the circle, add on a new twist. When the bunny fingers are passed to a new leader, the people on either side of the leader wave their hands and say “tokey tokey” along with them. Watch a video of the game being played to get the hang of it quickly. This game is best played in groups of four or more.
The jelly bean guess is one of the most popular Easter games out there, and there’s a reason why: Everyone loves it! Before the party starts, fill a mason jar with jelly beans. As your guests arrive, have them guess how many jelly beans are in the jar. The person whose guess is the closest wins the jar.
Chubby Bunny is a classic (and the perfect excuse to eat more Peeps!). Each round, every player puts a Peep into their mouth and says “Chubby Bunny.” Once you’ve got so many marshmallows in your mouth that you can’t say “Chubby Bunny” articulately or with a straight face, you’re out. The last person standing wins.
You’ll want to make sure all your players are old enough to understand the concept of a choking hazard. Aside from that, this is one of those Easter games where you can have as many players as you’d like!
Egg tapping—or egg fight as some call it—is a classic Easter game tradition that dates back centuries. And fortunately, this Easter game is pretty simple. All you need to play is two hard-boiled eggs. One person holds an egg in their hand while the other player taps their egg against it, hoping to break their opponent’s egg without breaking their own. The first person to have their egg cracked loses. This game can be extended by having the winner continue to challenge new opponents—and the last one standing with an uncracked egg after everyone has been challenged wins.
This Easter game is less of a challenge and more about just having fun. You’ll need empty eggshells with the tops cut off so you can fill them with various colors of paint. Go for Easter pastels or vibrant colors—it’s your choice! Once you have your eggs filled, put tissue paper squares over each eggshell and use glue to carefully secure them, making sure they’re completely dry. After that, all you need is to go outside and start letting the little ones throw the paint-filled eggs at some blank canvases. It’s fun to do, and you’ll get some amazing pieces of art out of it!
An Easter twist on the classic horse race, this game is simple to execute, but still fun for the whole family. All you need is some kind of incline and a few hard-boiled eggs. Each person stands at the top of the incline and rolls their eggs down all at once. The first person to have their egg reach the bottom is the winner. The steeper the hill, the more entertaining.
This is another one of those Easter games that is all about aim and hand-eye coordination—a challenge the bigger kids will certainly enjoy. All you need is some rope, a basket, plastic Easter eggs, popcorn kernels, and tape. Fill your plastic eggs with popcorn kernels and tape them shut to give them a little weight. Then, after you hang your basket from a tree branch, line the children up and have them take turns trying to throw eggs into the basket. Once the kids get a hang of it, take up the difficulty by swinging the basket back and forth while they try to throw their eggs in.
Mws R Writings 