With four children and a husband who works with children, someone in my house is usually sick. In our upstairs bathrooms, everyone has his/her own towels so that germs don't spread. But it's our downstairs “guest” bathroom that gets the most use. I used to keep a roll of paper towels there to prevent the spread of germs, but I didn't like creating all that garbage. So, inspired by a spa stay a few years ago with my mother and sister, I now have a basket of washcloths for family and guests for drying their hands. I'd initially gone to a local bed-and-bath store and to a discount home goods store, but washcloths were way too expensive ($3 or more per washcloth!) for the number I wanted to buy. Instead, I Googled for a hotel supply company, and bought a gross (a dozen dozen) of white washcloths for about $35. They're easy to wash... we never run out, even when we host parties... we all stay healthier... and we save the planet too.
Jul 1
Jul 4, 2009 at 2:56 PM How can I find your blog without clicking on so many versions of "Bottom Line Secrets"? Is there a direct link somewhere? It took me a long time to find you this afternoon.
Please make it easier by printing a direct link in your magazine.
Jul 6, 2009 at 9:27 AM Hello, Betty. And thank you for coming to my blog. I'm not sure how you got to this page, but there is an easy-to-find link right on the home page. It is on the right side of the screen underneath the featured expert. The title says "Margie's Blog." You can click on that, or on my picture, or on the "Read more" message at the end of the brief bit of text in the box. Please stay in touch! I'd love to hear what you have to say.
Jul 18, 2009 at 8:51 PM Great idea. Where do they put the used washclothes? Sam's Club sells bundles of them at a good price.
Jul 19, 2009 at 5:40 PM Hello, Sherry.
We put the used washcloth in a designated metal basket (no top) right next to the sink. (We started out with wicker, but it got mildewy from the moisture of the used washcloths).
Hope this works as well for you as it does for us!
Jul 23, 2009 at 12:58 PM Hi, Margie.
Have you heard about the health benefits of full body vibration machines that were supposedly developed at NASA or has there been any official studies for us civilians?
Jul 23, 2009 at 1:28 PM Thanks, Darlene. There was a study out of the Netherlands that says vibration plate exercise machines may help with weight loss (belly fat, in particular). These findings will likely be included in an article in the works on belly fat for our Bottom Line/Health newsletter.
Jul 23, 2009 at 4:43 PM I was hoping it would be beneficial to the elderly in getting muscle & bones back to a healthier balance, but can find no information other than those who are trying to sell the product.
Jul 23, 2009 at 6:18 PM I'll discuss it with our Bottom Line/Health editor. It will either be an element of this story, or we'll address it in a different piece.
In the mean time, there are easy exercises you can do to build muscle and strengthen bone. We have published numerous articles about it.
Aug 27, 2009 at 5:44 AM Thank you for the recent article on "Holes in Health Insurance". This occured to me at the onset of what turned into 11 yrs of fighting both Chronic Pain and Fatigue. Previous Abdominal Surgeries left me with a Chronic Pain Condition. To fight that, and under what appeared to be very good health insurance, I enrolled in what was considered the best and most progressive Chronic Pain Center, the Cleveland Clinic on Pain. After enrolling, and in desperate need of that service, my Health Insurance Co. determined that they were not going to cover that cost, and I was stuck with paying for 3 weeks of that service out of pocket. This kind of care was not Cheap. Two yrs later while still dealing with the Pain Issue a small tumor was discovered on my Pituitary Gland causing my endocrine system not to function well at all. In all, and when coupled togeather the out of pocket costs were amazing. This is where I realized that MRI's were $5,000 each, and most every other necessary Test were all so equally expensive. In my case, I wasn't able to continue to work, and dispite the Health Insurance I had, many of those costs too were also being rejected. The reason? Relocating out of State and back to my hometown area to recover with good Family support.My Health Insurance determined that getting the best possible care for Pain Control at the Cleveland Clinic was "out of State" and required this "Special Approval" which of course I didn't have. Same too applied for my ongoing medical attention, now all being out of the State. The biggest issue in this matter was the lack of having a competant "Advocate" who only relied on the General Contract Provisions. Moreover, taking the Insurance Companies "Word" for if an Issue was indeed "Covered", many were, but only when the Specific Prior Approval Protocol was performed, including written "Prior Approval" for each new Procedure. Yes, when calling the "Clerk" who answered the call confirmed my Procedures were covered. The "Clerk" didn't mention the need for such detailed approval,(nor was it necessary for the Insurance Co to deney the claim) and as such, the Ins Co, had no Obligation to pay, and of course didn't. Moreover, when your too ill to keep your job, your most likely not well enough to be an effective "Advocate" either. Over time, the issues only compounded themselves where the initial necessary or advisable medical Procedure or Treatment made the following equally as damning as the first.In the end, that Ordeal wasn't just devestating in terms of financal hardship, but the emotional toil impeded my recovery as well. For certain, this compounding effect contributes in such a way that substancial recovery from a Chronic Condition remains a most difficult undertaking, and is a large part of why so few ever substancially recover.