Today’s post is courtesy of Cherie Strand, an occupational therapist and world traveler from Idaho.

Just because a hotel SERVES breakfast does not mean it is your home kitchen.

My family has the opportunity to travel quite a bit because we live in the witness protection program in rural Idaho. Well, maybe not the WPP, but we do live about 3 hours away from an airport, Target, Walmart, Costco and doctors. (No kidding.) So, we do frequent overnight trips to stock up on things.

We love that many hotels have a hot breakfast included in the stay. Many are very well apportioned–everything from cheese omelets, bacon, hot and cold cereal, pastries, waffles, fresh fruit, yogurt, etc. Budget hotels have moved way beyond the stale danish that they used to offer. And, this is especially nice for families as it saves the time and money of taking kids to a “real” restaurant.

On the flip side, over the past 12 years, we have noticed more and more people take this breakfast offer a little too casually. Some folks appear in the breakfast area in their pajamas, hair completely uncombed (clearly) and often without shoes (despite signs saying proper attire and footwear required). It used to be just small kids that looked as if they were plucked straight from bed and brought down to the communal breakfast. Now, it is the entire family.

Whether it’s 7 AM or 9:30 AM, it is common now to see a grown man and woman with their three or four children, all still in PJs, slippers (or barefoot) and looking exactly as if they rolled out of bed and came right on down to the breakfast area. The rest of us try to keep down our breakfasts while treated to what these folks really look like without any semblance of morning hygiene–no imagination necessary! It is not as if we are eating at 5 AM and expecting everyone to be there in suits (which, incidentally IS the case because the business men and women are up early, dressed, and ready to go).

So, would you waltz into a restaurant like that? (Well, yes, because I have seen that too, but mostly from teenagers and college kids.) I do NOT want to see you or your family with bed head, pajamas, bare feet or ratty slippers. It takes about 10 minutes to get kids up and pull their hair back and get dressed yourself. You can even use your room coffeemaker in the meantime to have a cup of coffee to get geared up for all that work it takes just to put on regular clothing. Asking for a little courtesy while strangers are eating breakfast doesn’t seem like too much to ask, does it?

I don’t want to see your toe jam while I’m trying to eat my jam on toast.

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Mother necessity, where would we be without your inventions? Well, we’d be looking at a product called NewSeat. This is a disposable seat cover that fits over chairs at movie theaters, weddings, convention halls, meeting rooms…basically anywhere that might have a seat that doesn’t meet your OCD standards.

httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n7m8IMOxiTs

Me, if I see a chair with schmutz on it, I just choose another seat. But, that’s me.

[Via the fine folks at You Just Made My List!]

Talk about a genius invention! The PeePoo bag allows someone to pee and/or poop in it and then bury the bag to use as fertilizer. Now, you might not need this in your suburban town with fancy city-run sewage. But, think about third-world countries who struggle with the human waste issue every day.

For slums in the developing world where human waste is an unregulated nightmare and flying toilets are common practice, the bag provides a means of waterless sewage disposal and organic fertilizer all in one easy, biodegradable step.

The bag has special lining that breaks down the waste and it even kills any bacteria or pathogens inside. Completely brilliant! If only every invention could be this useful. Sort of makes the Flowbee all that more embarrassing….

[Thanks to Denise R. for the link!]

If your pet really needs this collar to clear up its odor issues, shouldn’t you, like, give it a bath instead?

For only $17, your pet can become a walking Airwick freshener, too!

[Via Gizmodo]

On a plane a few days ago, the man sitting directly in front of me sneezed repeatedly. While this occurrence is not noteworthy, perhaps this will grab you: he never covered his mouth or nose ONCE. Okay, you sneeze unexpectedly and you might not contain your germs in time. But, you only get that excuse once. The rest of the time, cover your mouth!

If you don’t think a little sneeze is a big deal, watch this video from CNN: The Anatomy of a Sneeze. It shows what happens when unchecked sneezes are released into small spaces (such as airplanes and subway cars).

As H1N1 deaths climb, a lot of people are wondering what this flu season may hold. Every little bit of effort we put towards not spreading germs helps.

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In tough economic times, some people need to cut back on medical expenses that are not covered, or only partially covered, by insurance. For many, these can include dental visits. Luckily, there are some cheap ways to keep your teeth in good shape between trips to the dentist.

Some of the items on the list are no-brainers (like “brush longer”…duh), but others may surprise you. One of the best things you can do is to drink your local tap water. It contains fluoride, while many bottled waters do not. Fluoride helps to prevent cavities.

Here are a few highlights from the article:

• Do some dairy. Just two ounces of milk, cheese or yogurt each day can help reduce the risk of gum disease. Dairy products contain calcium and lactic acid to keep teeth strong and destroy harmful bacteria.
• Floss before you brush. By flossing first, you can use your brushing time to get rid of all the gunk you removed with the floss.
• While you’re at it, brush your tongue and mouth, too. Bacteria are all over your mouth, not just on your teeth.
• Don’t brush right after eating citrus. Citrus fruits or drinks containing those fruits also have citric acid. That acid can temporarily weaken tooth enamel and leave your teeth vulnerable to damage from your toothbrush. Thirty minutes should be enough time to make sure your teeth are ready to stand up to a good brushing.

So, don’t let your teeth down. You don’t want to be a Yuck Mouth, do you?

[Via Pat's Papers]

It’s lunchtime and you run out to grab a bite. Do you wash your hands before you start eating? According to an article this week in the Washington Post, you should.

Since many people work indoors in tight spaces, offices are a smorgasbord for bacteria. The reporter spoke to Charles Gerba, a microbiologist at the University of Arizona, who said:

“Our offices — our desktops, our keyboards, our phones — these are among the worst places for germs,” he said. “There are 400 times more viruses on the average desktop than the average toilet, for instance.”

So, before you pick up those fries, sandwich, chips, burrito, or pizza, give your hands a good washing.

[Via Pat's Papers.]

You’ve seen them. Big globules of spit on the street or sidewalk. Loogies just waiting there for you to step or drop something in. And worse than seeing a pile of spit is listening to someone expectorate one. Starting deep in his (or, less likely, her) throat, he coughs, sputters, and hocks until a giant phlegm ball comes out. Then, it’s deposited somewhere nearby for all to see.

Is this really how far we’ve come as a society? We can put a man on the moon, obsessively Twitter and elect a black president, but we can’t stop ourselves from spitting in public?

Many diseases can be transmitted through saliva and some of them can live for hours outside the body. In previous centuries and in more recent years, outbreaks of TB and SARS respectively led to prominent “don’t spit in public” campaigns. But not even SARS was able to curb the Chinese practice of spitting. It wasn’t until the Beijing Olympics that the government waged a full-on campaign against what many there consider an accepted activity. Perhaps we need a little more public awareness here in the states, as well.

The recent Swine Flu outbreak should be a wake up call to all of us–spitters and non-spitters. To the spitters: just stop it. It’s gross and we don’t care WHY you’re doing it. Invest in a handkerchief or carry tissues. Non-spitters: speak out! Admonish and embarrass the spitters until they are shamed into keeping their phlegm to themselves. It should not be acceptable social behavior.

Yes, we can stop public spitting.

An older kid at the playground today was coughing and hacking all over the park. I was completely skeeved out and made sure my daughter wasn’t in spit-shot. Since you can’t chase random kids with Kleenex and Purell (at least where I live), more people need to realize the importance of covering coughs and sneezes.

It’s a basic rule of consideration and hygiene: cover your mouth when you cough but especially when you sneeze. It seems simple, but many people don’t bother and it’s never been so important. This week, the flu caused more schools to close in New York City. If you don’t know what happens when you sneeze, watch this great simulation that takes place on a subway car. (It’ll make you want to walk to work from now on.)

It’s best if you don’t use your hands. Cough or sneeze into your arm or sleeve to prevent the transfer of germs from your hands later on.

In other words, keep your germs to yourself.

Recently, I have had folks look at me askew as I help my daughter wash her hands. We always sing “Happy birthday to you” twice as we scrub our hands with soap and water, and this usually gets us some raised eyebrows. The reason we sing this song twice is because that is the length of time you need to get your hands properly clean. Yep, 20 seconds of soapy washing is all you need to properly clean your hands. You don’t need antibacterial this or hand sanitizer that. Just regular soap, water, friction, and a few seconds. (Most experts agree that hand sanitizer is a good alternative when soap and water are not available, however.) Singing a short song guarantees that you’ve washed long enough.

Properly washing your hands is important, as it helps stop the transmission of germs. If one in three Americans skips hand washing after using the bathroom, it’s even more important for the other sixty-six percent to wash correctly. According to the Mayo Clinic:

Inadequate hand hygiene also contributes to food-related illnesses, such as salmonella and E. coli infection. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), as many as 76 million Americans get a food-borne illness each year. Of these, about 5,000 die as a result of their illness. Others experience the annoying signs and symptoms of nausea, vomiting and diarrhea.

So, sing whatever ditty makes you happy and make sure you take enough time to get clean.