Archive: May 2019

Keep the dirt outside

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Keeping dirt and germs outside of the facility is a good prerequisite to starting your floor care program off right. By establishing a pre-cleaning routine that involves clearing the dirt and debris from the outside areas of your facility, you can minimize the amount of dirt containing your floors on the inside. Installing proper entrance matting will also help to contain any stray dirt trying to make its way inside.

Heart Healthy

What is a heart-healthy diet?

A heart-healthy diet is:

What’s the difference between healthy fat and unhealthy fat?

Saturated and trans fats can be especially harmful to your heart and arteries. A heart-healthy diet is low in these harmful fats but includes moderate amounts of healthy fats. Mono- and polyunsaturated fats, especially omega-3 fats, are good for your heart.

When it comes to your weight, all fats are equally high in calories. When it comes to your heart, some fats are bad and some are good.

Why are saturated fats so bad for me?

Saturated fats are unhealthy primarily because they raise blood levels of low-density lipoprotein (LDL), the so-called “bad” cholesterol. No more than 7 percent of your calories each day should come from saturated fats. For a person eating 2,000 calories per day, that’s 16 grams of saturated fat, the equivalent of less than 3 ounces of cheese.

To decrease your saturated fat intake, cut down on meat, cheese, butter and cream. Switch to more plant-based fats instead. For example, add guacamole instead of cheese to your tacos. Spread peanut butter — especially natural peanut butter — instead of butter on your toast. Sauté vegetables in a teaspoon of oil instead of a pat of butter.

Why are trans fats so bad for me?

Trans fats, commonly found in deep fried foods or foods made with partially hydrogenated oils, are especially harmful because they raise LDL cholesterol and also decrease the “good cholesterol,” high-density lipoprotein (HDL). There is no recommended level of trans fat because any amount can be harmful.

Fortunately, nutrition facts labels on packaged foods are now required to list trans fat content. Read labels and avoid foods containing trans fats.

Candles

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 Cleaning tip of the day!
Clean out candle holders.
Image result for cleaning your candle jars

Save a pretty container when the candle’s spent by rinsing with steaming hot water and scooping out the wax residue inside with a paper towel. This will allow you to use that pretty little jar for something else around the house. Who knows you may even want to make your own candle and you now you already have the jar for it.

Speaking of which have you ever wondered how to get more “Scent throw” from your candle?

 

The term used to describe the strength of fragrance for a candle is called “scent throw.” Scent throw is used to describe how the candle smells while the wax is solid (cold throw) and how much aroma is given off after it has been lit (hot throw). There are a number of things you can do to maximize the scent throw of your candles.

  1. Use the recommended percentage of fragrance oil for the type of wax you’re using. For more information on recommended fragrance oil and wax combination.
  2. Be sure to weigh your fragrance oils on a scale, not measure in a cup or spoon.
  3. Add fragrance oil at 185Fº and stir gently and thoroughly with the melted wax.
  4. Let your candles cure before test burning them. The minimum cure time is 3 days, while 1-2 weeks is the preferred curing time.
  5. Place a lid on each candle and store them in a place away from excessive heat or light.
  6. Keep the container size and room size in mind. The wider the diameter, the stronger the fragrance will be. While a smaller candle, such as a tin or jelly jar, may be sufficient for a bedroom or bathroom, a larger living space may require a candle with a wider diameter to fill the room with fragrance.
  7. You may also want to evaluate your wick choice to ensure that it is not under or over wicked as that will also affect your hot throw. A wick that is too small or too large will directly impact how strong your candle smells. The following two links will help you evaluate your wick.

Hopefully these steps help you enjoy your candle a little bit longer. Especially if you are crafty and making them yourself!!!!

 

 

Cinco de Mayo

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Cleaning Tip of the day!

Sanitize your phone.

The icky truth: Your cell might harbor more germs than toilet seat. Zap germs by wiping with an alcohol wipe, and give your TV remote and computer mouse the same treatment while you’re at it.

Image result for pictures of cell phones

 

CINO de MAYO

Cinco de Mayo, or the fifth of May, is a holiday that celebrates the date of the Mexican army’s 1862 victory over France at the Battle of Puebla during the Franco-Mexican War. The day, which falls on Sunday, May 5 in 2019, is also known as Battle of Puebla Day. While it is a relatively minor holiday in Mexico, in the United States, Cinco de Mayo has evolved into a commemoration of Mexican culture and heritage, particularly in areas with large Mexican-American populations.

Cinco de Mayo history

In 1861, Benito Juárez—a lawyer and member of the indigenous Zapotec tribe—was elected president of Mexico. At the time, the country was in financial ruin after years of internal strife, and the new president was forced to default on debt payments to European governments.

In response, France, Britain and Spain sent naval forces to Veracruz, Mexico, demanding repayment. Britain and Spain negotiated with Mexico and withdrew their forces.

France, however, ruled by Napoleon III, decided to use the opportunity to carve an empire out of Mexican territory. Late in 1861, a well-armed French fleet stormed Veracruz, landing a large force of troops and driving President Juárez and his government into retreat.

The Battle of Puebla

Certain that success would come swiftly, 6,000 French troops under General Charles Latrille de Lorencez set out to attack Puebla de Los Angeles, a small town in east-central Mexico. From his new headquarters in the north, Juárez rounded up a ragtag force of 2,000 loyal men—many of them either indigenous Mexicans or of mixed ancestry—and sent them to Puebla.

The vastly outnumbered and poorly supplied Mexicans, led by Texas-born General Ignacio Zaragoza, fortified the town and prepared for the French assault. On May 5, 1862, Lorencez gathered his army—supported by heavy artillery—before the city of Puebla and led an assault.

How long did the Battle of Puebla last?

The battle lasted from daybreak to early evening, and when the French finally retreated they had lost nearly 500 soldiers. Fewer than 100 Mexicans had been killed in the clash.

Although not a major strategic win in the overall war against the French, Zaragoza’s success at the Battle of Puebla on May 5 represented a great symbolic victory for the Mexican government and bolstered the resistance movement. In 1867—thanks in part to military support and political pressure from the United States, which was finally in a position to aid its besieged neighbor after the end of the Civil War—France finally withdrew.

The same year, Austrian Archduke Ferdinand Maximilian, who had been installed as emperor of Mexico in 1864 by Napoleon, was captured and executed by Juárez’s forces. Puebla de Los Angeles was renamed for General Zaragoza, who died of typhoid fever months after his historic triumph there.

Cinco de Mayo in Mexico

Within Mexico, Cinco de Mayo is primarily observed in the state of Puebla, where Zaragoza’s unlikely victory occurred, although other parts of the country also take part in the celebration. Traditions include military parades, recreations of the Battle of Puebla and other festive events. For many Mexicans, however, May 5 is a day like any other: It is not a federal holiday, so offices, banks and stores remain open.

Why do we celebrate Cinco de Mayo in the United States?

In the United States, Cinco de Mayo is widely interpreted as a celebration of Mexican culture and heritage, particularly in areas with substantial Mexican-American populations.

Chicano activists raised awareness of the holiday in the 1960s, in part because they identified with the victory of indigenous Mexicans (such as Juárez) over European invaders during the Battle of Puebla.

Today, revelers mark the occasion with parades, parties, mariachi music, Mexican folk dancing and traditional foods such as tacos and mole poblano. Some of the largest festivals are held in Los Angeles, Chicago and Houston.

Confusion with Mexican Independence Day

Many people outside Mexico mistakenly believe that Cinco de Mayo is a celebration of Mexican independence, which was declared more than 50 years before the Battle of Puebla.

Independence Day in Mexico (Día de la Independencia) is commemorated on September 16, the anniversary of the revolutionary priest Miguel Hidalgo y Costilla’s famous “Grito de Dolores” (“Cry of Dolores”), a call to arms that amounted to a declaration of war against the Spanish colonial government in 1810.

 

Citation Information

Article Title

Cinco de Mayo

Author

History.com Editors

Website Name

HISTORY

URL

https://www.history.com/topics/holidays/cinco-de-mayo

Access Date

April 30, 2019

Publisher

A&E Television Networks

Last Updated

April 29, 2019

Original Published Date

October 23, 2009