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Yes, getting sick is the worst, but what’s more, the fewer flu patients this year, the less strain on the healthcare systems working hard to treat and fight other viruses. So staying healthy is a double win. Here’s what you and your family should know to stay one step ahead of seasonal cold and flu viruses, which typically peak during cold-weather months. In the past 35 years, peak flu season has most commonly occurred between October and May, and has most frequently peaked in February....

Migraines hit when the brain sends signals out to the nerves that cause inflammation of the blood vessels and sensitivity of nerve endings. The nerves then send electrical signals into the brain. What patients end up experiencing is a sharp, often one-sided pounding that lasts for hours or even days and a bevy of associated problems, such as queasiness, sensitivity to light and sound, and, in 20 to 30 percent of sufferers, an aura (a transient sensation, like flashes of light or tingling in one arm)....

Many other disorders of the digestive system (which includes your mouth, esophagus, stomach, and intestines) can also cause nausea. Examples include Crohn’s disease and gastroparesis, a condition that slows down stomach emptying. “If you’re experiencing long-lasting nausea, [especially with] symptoms such as bloating, indigestion, diarrhea, or constipation, visit your doctor to find out the cause,” says Dr. Kelley. On that note, is nausea a sign of a COVID-19 infection? In some cases, yes (but don’t panic)....

A home inspection, on the other hand, determines whether there are any structural issues in the home (and outside of it). Yes, an inspection will cost you (the average cost is $200 to $400, according to Bankrate), but those few hundred dollars can potentially save you a lot of money down the line. “In this super-competitive housing market, waiving a home inspection can be appealing for buyers seeking to make their offers more attractive to sellers who have plenty to choose from—but buyers do so at their financial peril,” says Clare Trapasso, real estate expert at Realtor....

Their similar labels and placement next to each other on store shelves are confusing, even to advanced cooks. Ultimately they differ, and using them interchangeably will affect the consistency, texture, and flavor of certain dishes. Below, we explain the differences between heavy cream, heavy whipping cream, and whipping cream, plus how to decode the labels and best uses for each type of cream. Next time you see them displayed next to each other in the grocery store, you won’t have to think twice about which one to pick up....

Printable Questions for Kids A couple of months ago my son got a pack of brain questions as his toy in a kids meal at our favorite fast food restaurant. The next month when we went back to get more brain questions, they had changed the puzzle and riddle packs to a set of table talk questions – questions to ask around the table to get your kids talking like these ones....

When shopping for chicken breasts, you have a few main options to consider: boneless or bone-in, and skinless or skin-on. Boneless breasts cook the fastest, but are easy to overcook and dry out if you’re not careful. On the other hand, bone-in breasts take longer to cook, but more reliably yield succulent meat. As for the skin, chicken skin contains a lot of flavor, holds in moisture, and can get nice and crispy with the right technique....

With St. Patrick’s Day right around the corner, I’m seeing rainbows pop up all over the place. I’ve known that I wanted to try my hand at rainbow foods for a while now and knew this would be the perfect time for it and not just because I just threw a Rainbow Butterfly Unicorn Kitty party! Or because I’ve been dreaming about donut party ideas. While my son was hanging out with grandma all day, I decided to surprise him and make an entire rainbow full of his favorite food – colorful donuts with sprinkles on top....

Last summer I shared some really fun summer party ideas, including one of my favorite tips to provide party favors that people can actually use at parties! These fun DIY confetti poppers are a great example of that! They’re not only something people can take home, they’re something people can use to celebrate at a party! You can either create a bunch to give out to people as favors or set up a table where people can create their own confetti popper!...

I love how fun St. Patrick’s Day is, especially with kids. The entire holiday is full of magic and surprises – leprechaun and rainbows. And being married to a man who is part Irish – yeah we enjoy St. Patrick’s Day around here! There’s nothing better than doing a leprechaun hunt that ends with a bag full of yummy Lucky Charms cookies and chocolate gold coins! I’m always looking for ways to make the holiday even more magical, and I do believe these green velvet cookies will do the trick with my kiddos this year!...

Signature Punch How many times have you been to a party and they’re serving a signature drink? As someone who doesn’t drink alcohol, I always feel a bit slighted when there’s a signature drink but non-alcholic version for the rest of us. Can’t you at least come up with a strawberry mocktail? So I’ve made it my mission to come up with some drink recipes that are both kid-friendly and delicious for adults....

Previously, Emily operated as the Editorial and Strategy Director for several home brands at Dotdash Meredith, which included The Spruce Pets, The Spruce, The Spruce Crafts, and MyDomaine. She’s worked at Dotdash Meredith for over five years. Working her way up from an internship in college, Emily began her career as a Fashion Editor and Project Coordinator at Everywear, a style service startup helmed by Brandon Holley, previously the editor-in-chief of Lucky Magazine....

Case in point: Pumpkin spice hair color is a major trend for fall. Just like warmer, cozier, richer foods and fashions are all the rage as the seasons change, so too is a warmer, richer hair color, explains Kristen Fleming, color director at 3rd Coast Salon in Chicago. It’s inspired by all things fall: “Think rich, earthy tones such as amber, burnt orange, butterscotch, pumpkin orange, and soft golden hues, like the ones you’d see as leaves change,” she explains....

We also know that a happy gut is a healthy gut. Although constipation can be linked to more serious medical conditions like inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), it’s often our diet that is the culprit. The good news is, it’s not too difficult to start adding in the foods you need to keep things moving. Give it some time. “If you can make a consistent lifestyle change for two weeks, you’ll likely start to see some changes,” says Sanaa Arastu, MD, a gastroenterologist with Austin Gastroenterology....

“Over time, your home won’t look as bright as it used to be if these spots are neglected,” says Brian Sansoni, senior vice president of the American Cleaning Institute. “Remove the screens and use a soft brush to clean with water and mild dish soap. Then rinse and air dry before replacing.” Try something like the MyLifeUNIT Mesh Screen Cleaner ($14.99; amazon.com). For the windowpanes themselves, use your preferred glass cleaner with a clean cloth or paper towel....

This post contains affiliate links. If you purchase via these links, I may receive a small commission at no additional cost to you. One of the hardest things about having kids, especially a baby, is finding time for date night with my husband. I’m a little weird with leaving the baby with anyone other than family, and I can only ask my family to watch the kiddos so often. So my husband and I have to come up with fun date night ideas that we can do at home....

2022 Super Bowl Commercial Bingo One of my all-time favorite Super Bowl party games to play during the year is Super Bowl commercial bingo. That and Super Bowl Squares. We started doing this six years ago, and it’s been a tradition ever since! It’s bingo with things just from the commercials! And I know it’s been a big hit with readers at Super Bowl parties, so I keep making new printable cards every year....

School Fun While things are still up in the air here about what’s going on with school, I thought it would be fun to share these school bingo cards that you can use whether kids are going to virtual school, in-person school, or even homeschooling. If you send cards out to students, you could even play this over a virtual zoom class call! Bingo is one of my favorite virtual games, second only to this virtual scavenger hunt....

My boys are both obsessed with frogs (poison dart frogs to be exact), so I thought it would be fun to make some frog valentine cards this year to go along with their obsession. One of the hardest things about Valentine’s Day, especially with having boys, is finding cards that aren’t too girly, too romantic, or too cheesy that they just don’t make sense. We sometimes will buy valentines from the store but more often than not, I’ll just design and print some that match my boys’ interests that year....

This post contains affiliate links. If you purchase via these links, I will receive a small commission at no additional cost to you. I’m a big fan of dice games. From my viral dice gift exchange game to this roll a Christmas tree game, dice just adds an element of luck and randomness to every game. There’s a reason I have a ton of dice games on my site and a reason that people love them so much!...