This is the time of the year when most of us bring out the heavy blankets and comforters to get our beds ready for winter.

It’s the perfect time to give your beds some extra attention!

Action Plan

1. Strip everything off the bed including your mattress cover. If you have mattress encasements on your beds, leave them on.
NOTE: A mattress encasement is best bought when you buy a new mattress and have the delivery men put it on. It totally covers every inch of the mattress and keeps it free of bed bugs, dust mites, etc. Since you don’t want to take it off because of the difficulty, always use a mattress cover on top which can be taken off the bed and washed periodically.

2. I like to spray my mattresses with Lysol to kill any bacteria that may be there.

3. Wash your mattress cover, sheets, pillow cases, pillow encasements (I highly recommend these to keep bacteria off of your pillows), pillows, comforters, summer blankets, etc.

4. It’s also a good time to wash any throw blankets you have on your sofa or chairs.

5. Make sure you read the washing directions on each item but most items can be machine washed including pillows.

6. How often to wash your sheets? I change my bed twice a week in the summer and once a week during the winter. Of course, if someone is sick, you may want to change the sheets more, especially the pillow cases. Some people change their sheets every two weeks but I think once a week is best.

7. Why so often? Sheets may look fresh, but they are covered in sweat, drool, and dead skin! Then you have the dust mites that feed on the dead skin. And if you are prone to acne, an oily buildup on bedding will only contribute to breakouts.

8. Washing in hot water is best but warm is fine. A strong laundry booster like OxiClean or borax will help cut through and dissolve the oils and skin cells that can gunk up sheets.

9. Once spring comes around, doing the same process will insure that your bedding is always fresh and clean.

10. Since we spend a third of our lives sleeping, your bed and the bedding is very important to your health and well being.

Emotional Check-Up

Germs aren’t the only things you have to worry about “catching.” Emotions are also infectious, according to research on social contagions: moods and behaviors that spread from person to person.
This research shows that traits and choices of our friends – and even our friends’ friends – have a powerful effect on ours. Here are some unexpected infections and how to inoculate you.

1. Stress. We can detect stress in other people as well as through e-mail, texts, and social media. Whenever you feel stressed, take breaks and get enough sleep. That’s not selfish! It benefits you and everyone around you.

2. Negative thinking. We can “catch” negative-thinking after being around a negative person after only three months. So work on being with positive people.

3. Happiness. On the other hand, positive feelings also rub off! Data found that when we are around a joyful friend our own good feelings are more than if we got extra money.

4. Quitting Smoking. When one person quit smoking, close friends and family members became 36 percent less likely to smoke.
All of these are what is called a “ripple” effect. What we do and say and act does affect other people!

From the show “The Doctors” and Readers Digest

Manna from Heaven

“Let love be without hypocrisy. Abhor what is evil; cling to what is good. Be devoted to one another in brotherly love; give preference to one another in honor; rejoicing in hope, devoted to prayer, practicing hospitality…If possible, so far as it depends on you, be at peace with all men.” Romans 12: 9-18