New parents have their hands full. While the nine months leading up to the birth of a child afford plenty of time to research the best gear and make necessary preparations, the list of concerns for that fragile bundle of joy can be intimidating. And selecting the right car seat is one of the most challenging. Between reviews, recalls, budgets, and difficult-to-understand instructions, the world of car seat shopping is not for the faint of heart. But it needn't be so complicated: once you know the lingo and your needs, it's just a matter of finding the right fit for your vehicle and family.
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Many of us can't imagine life without our pets. According to the American Pet Products Association, nearly 70 million U.S. households include at least one dog and 45 million households include cats. And it's no surprise: their wagging tails upon our arrival home and purring snuggles after a long day at the office are the best kinds of welcomes. The relationships we forge with our furry friends can be some of the most supportive.
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Few of us in West Virginia are immune to occasionally losing an hour to mindless scrolling on our phones and devices. After all, it's the nature of social media and the internet: an endless series of rabbit holes full of breaking news, TikTok videos, shopping, and Insta updates we didn't know we needed. But, for some, those technological time warps aren't just occasional, they're a daily, or even hourly, preoccupation. When does an innocuous pastime become a problematic addiction? And what do we do about it?
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Last month's New Year celebrations had good cause; we have a chance to be grateful for the years behind us as we look forward to the years ahead. Chances are, as we clinked champagne glasses with friends and family, the idea of not being around to celebrate with them next year never crossed our minds.
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In a world full of visible dangers, the last thing anyone in West Virginia wants to think about is the invisible ones. But they're there and, believe it or not, many of them may be lurking inside your home. According to the CDC, each year, approximately 430 people in the U.S. die from accidental carbon monoxide poisoning and more than 50,000 are treated for it. Mold is prevalent in an estimated 70 percent of American homes. And the EPA and Surgeon General attribute more than 21,000 annual deaths from lung cancer in the U.S. to radon exposure.
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Successful small businesses are often the result of the proverbial blood, sweat, and tears of the owner. They require no small measure of risk, sacrifice, and commitment. Long hours, unpredictability, increased responsibility, financial insecurity, and a host of other factors all make running a small business a challenging and taxing endeavor.
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Nobody likes to go to the doctor, especially when they aren't sick. But preventative healthcare is a huge piece of the long, healthy, and happy life puzzle. Annual wellness exams often include a general screening, vitals check, labs, and maintenance for chronic health conditions. In fact, it isn't uncommon that these annual exams identify early-stage diseases like cancer, concerning blood pressure and cholesterol levels, thyroid dysfunction, and a host of other common deficiencies and abnormalities. And, since the Affordable Care Act (ACA) mandated 100 percent coverage for preventative care, there's no excuse for missing your annual physical.
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Anymore, it's an expectation: New Year's Day rolls around and a laundry list of resolutions lies before us. Gym membership and self-help book sales skyrocket. The revelry of the holidays gives way to Dry January, "clean" meal planning, and the next best diet. Entrepreneurs recommit to the hustle. A growth mindset is on the tip of everyone's tongue. It seems that everyone is looking to fix, improve, and ascend the latter of some self-determined actualization or another.
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