Christmas is a time of giving. Give someone you love a tasty message in a bottle and with no need to cook thing. Find a simple cookie recipe and layer the dry ingredients into a dry one-quart wide mouth jar. Secure the lid and decorate the jar as desired. Don’t forget to attach the recipe for making the cookies before giving to your friends. But, give yourself something wonderful this Christmas like jewelry. It is good and invigorating to receive something from the fruits of your hard-work. If you want to be good to others, be good to yourself too, that’s a simple way to happiness.

Now that I am old, I can no longer do several things without feeling pains afterwards. The most pain I feel is in my joints, which I think is arthritis. But I have to know its forms for better understanding and information.

Of the many types of arthritis, the most common is osteoarthritis. Sometimes called degenerative arthritis, it is caused by regular daily wear and tear. It affects people and they get older, particularly the weight-bearing joints in the hips and knees that take a lot of stresses and strains. The lower back, neck and hands are also commonly affected. In osteoarthritis, the cartilage surfaces get damaged and worn, sometimes to the point where the underlying bone surfaces are already in direct contact with each other.

In rheumatoid arthritis, the problem is inflammation of the synovial membrane. In gout, which is another form of arthritis, the synovial fluid contains tiny crystals of uric acid. These are deposited on the cartilage of the joints, tendons and surrounding tissue, which cause inflammation.

Well, cold season is already here and it will linger for a while longer, it’s high time you started thinking about properly taking care of your feet and toes, which will be hidden in your boots or winter shoes long enough. One of the most common things you can expect would be infections with fungi, as they are microorganisms that don’t need sunlight to develop and survive, but a warm, moist environment as the one provided by your shoes. Another reason would be a weakness of your immune system, which makes it unable to detect and fight against infections.

Basically, when your toenails become thicker, crumblier, lackluster, and have a peculiar shape and a dark color, that’s when you should start worrying. Still, there is no reason to despair – there are a bunch of homemade remedies that could easily help you out. First of all, tea-tree and lavender oil efficiently work in such cases, the first one being a genuine antiseptic, while the latter will calm the irritation. Just pour an equal amount of each on a cotton ball and gently rub it on the affected area a couple of times a day. For the Listerine mouthwash addicts, we have nothing but good news, since its antibacterial properties are good for fighting fungus, too. You can also count on the efficiency of a mixture containing both apple and cider vinegar, in equal proportions – add it to warm water and then soak your feet in this “natural bath”. Gently dry your feet and wait for the effects. They won’t take long before making themselves felt. Just remember, prevention is better that cure!