One and Co

One and Co

Archives for April 2021

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Perfect Gifts for Your Partner

There’s nothing better than watching the expression on your partner’s face when they open the perfect gift. That being said, finding the perfect gift for any occasion is by no means a simple feat. Over time, looking for a gift that truly displays your affection and your appreciation can be difficult. Fortunately, while coming up with our own ideas may be offering up nothing, there are plenty of great ideas online that can help you jumpstart the gift-sourcing process. If you want to find the right gift for your loved one, here are a few amazing gift ideas for your partner.

1. Buy them jewelry that they will cherish and wear every day.

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Jewelry is great for two reasons. First, products like necklaces, pendants, or bracelets can be easily worn to enhance any outfit and allow your partner to personalize their looks. Second, when jewelry is given by a loved one, wearing it can be a symbol of love and a way for your partner to carry you around, always.

Set aside some time to look for the perfect necklace that your partner would love to wear. From sterling silver pendant necklaces to gemstone necklaces that feature an assortment of jewels, there are so many great new arrivals and best sellers out there that your partner is sure to love. You may even want to customize your partner’s jewelry by engraving it to make it a truly unique gift that will be as timeless as your love for them.

2. Give your partner a subscription box for something that they’re passionate about.

Gifts that keep on giving are arguably the best gifts to give, and what better gift could you give over time than a subscription box? Subscription boxes provide your partner with a steady stream of products and goods that help them enjoy their passion, whatever it may be. Whether your partner wants a subscription box that provides them with new outfits over time, a wine subscription box that they can use to kick back and relax at the end of the week, or a coffee subscription box so that they can start every morning right, a subscription box is a gift that your partner will greatly appreciate. Additionally, it gives them something to look forward to every month when it ships to your home.

3. Create your own gift, rather than going out and buying one.

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Homemade gifts are heavily underrated, which may be due to some thinking that they’re not capable of creating a gift that their partner will love. However, creating a gift that will be cherished for years to come may be easier than you believe. For example, if your anniversary is coming up, taking the time to create a scrapbook of your most memorable pictures as a couple can be one great way to celebrate your relationship with your partner. If you’re feeling even more adventurous, finding something from your first date and framing it is just another excellent example of how you can create a gift that your partner will cherish. When it comes to homemade gifts that will leave a lasting impression on your partner, the only limit is your imagination. If you’re still undecided, go for a traditional bouquet of fresh flowers. Fit for any occasion, your partner will surely appreciate and love this gift.

Finding a gift that will amaze your partner can be difficult if you’ve already gone through many stellar gift ideas in the past. Fortunately, with the right inspiration and guidance, you will soon find more than enough gift ideas to last you for this occasion and every occasion moving forward. If you’re ready to wow your partner this year, use the three suggestions above to get started on your gift-giving journey.

 

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3 Reasons To Switch To A Metal Roof

If the roof of your home is getting to the age or the stage when you’re thinking that you’ll need to be replacing it soon, you may want to consider if using a different material than the traditional shingles could be beneficial to you.

To help you in making this decision, here are three reasons why you might want to switch to a metal roof on your home or business.

Long-Term Savings

Although getting a metal roof put onto your structure will be more expensive upfront, the cost savings you can experience overtime may prove to be more beneficial to you than if you chose to replace your roof with shingles.

According to Lee Wallender, a contributor to The Spruce, metal roof can last between 40 and 70 years. Within that time frame, you may be having to replace a roof with asphalt shingles multiple times. So if you’re planning on staying in your current home for a long time into the future, or even if you’re wanting to sell in the future but are wanting to use this as a selling point for potential buyers, switching to a metal roof could be a great move.

Better Stand Up To The Elements

In many cases, metal roofs have also been proven to stand up better to the elements that they’ll be hit with as they protect your home.

Laura Mueller, a contributor to Moving.com, shares that asphalt shingles can be ripped off of a house in strong winds or can easily be damaged by heavy rain, hail, and other inclement weather. But with a metal roof, you won’t have to worry about losing parts of it to a storm. And while it can be dented if heavy hail or other materials fall onto it, it can offer itself and your home better protection against very wet weather, as it won’t have issues with mold or mildew. Additionally, metal roofs are much more fire resistant as well.

Great For Hot Climates

For those who live in a very hot area of the world, a metal roof can help to keep your home cooler than other types of roofs.

According to Donna Boyle Schwartz and Bob Vila of BobVila.com, this is because metal roofs will reflect the sun’s rays and keep your home from getting too hot from that direct sunlight. And, if you choose to put a more reflective coating on the metal roof, you can have even more energy efficient benefits, too.

If you’ve been wondering whether or not switching to a metal roof from your current roof with asphalt shingles would be a good idea for your home and your bank account, consider using the information presented above to help you in making the best choice for you.

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The Most Useful Software to Increase Operational Efficiencies

No matter what industry you are operating in, you are likely looking to improve your operational efficacies. Improving your operational efficiencies will offer several benefits, such as increasing your bottom line, increasing workplace productivity, and benefiting customer relationships. The list below is designed to showcase some of the most useful software for businesses to increase their operational efficacies.

1. Inventory Management Systems

Inventory management software can help businesses to increase efficiencies of operations related to inventory management. The specific operations that will benefit from using inventory management software include shipping, manufacturing, and stock taking. Inventory management systems enable a business to better track the stock they have, where it is located, and its length at their facility. Problems with inventory can have a whole range of unintended consequences for businesses. If you are not on top of your inventory, you can lose money from deadstock taking up space and from problems with quality control, locating, and packaging stock. Inventory management software enables a business to increase its operational efficiencies and avoid potentially disastrous problems caused by poor inventory management.

2. Industry Search Engines

As the founders of Octopart know only too well, difficulties locating the parts you need can cause a whole range of inefficiencies throughout a manufacturing production line. Using an industry dedicated search engine can enable a business to improve efficiencies by allowing them to more quickly and easily locate the materials they need. Not only does using this software help businesses to more easily and quickly find materials but it also helps businesses to save money. Industry search engines allow professionals to find and compare materials to ensure they are always making the most valuable returns.

3. Workforce Management Software

Workforce management software is a collection of tools that are all designed to ensure that your employees are currently working as productively as possible. There is a range of specific trackers and tools included in most inventory management software, these include:

  • Employee engagement
  • Workload management
  • Time trackers
  • Absence management
  • Scheduling

Workforce management software enables you to identify how employees are feeling about their work, how absorbed and enthusiastic they are. It also shows managers which tasks take up most of an employee’s time. Information like this can provide extremely useful when it comes to increasing operational efficiencies. Workforce management software is designed to provide managers with all the information they need for actionable insights that prompt operational efficiency improvement.

4. Automation Software

Businesses that adopt automation software would expect to see a large increase in their operational efficiencies. By automating routine and repeat processes, businesses can expect to see an increase in output. This is because automation software, unlike an employee, can work throughout the day, seven days a week. Not only are you increasing the output on routine tasks, but automation software also enables businesses to use their employees better. The employees that would otherwise be required to focus on these routine tasks are now free to work on more demanding or relevant tasks.

 

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Important Things to Know About Crime Trends in America

When you’re thinking about how to keep yourself safe, you’re also probably going to want to learn a bit about crime trends. Without this knowledge, it’s likely that you’ll be more worried about safety than you need to. The best way you can prepare yourself is to learn about the real crime trends in America. Here’s what you need to know about the United States’ crime trends.

All Types of Crime Are Decreasing

First and foremost, don’t lean into the idea that the United States is becoming more and more dangerous. As a matter of fact, it’s declined over the years. Here’s the overall national crime rate per 100,000 since 2010:

  • 2010: 3,350.4
  • 2011: 3,292.5
  • 2012: 3,255.8
  • 2013: 3,112.4
  • 2014: 2,971.8
  • 2015: 2,859.6
  • 2016: 2,837
  • 2017: 2,745.1
  • 2018: 2,568.4

As you can see, every year, crime overall has decreased rather than increased. Even when it comes to specifically violent crimes, the trend has been going down overall. This is specifically violent crime per 100,000 since 2010:

  • 2010: 404.5
  • 2011: 387.1
  • 2012: 387.8
  • 2013: 379.1
  • 2014: 375.7
  • 2015: 372.6
  • 2016: 386.3
  • 2017: 382.9
  • 2018: 368.9

Even though this is a bit more up-and-down, it’s clear that violent crime is going down. The homicide rate in 2018, for example, was half of the rate in 1991. People are becoming safer in general from both general crime and violent crime.

The Most Dangerous and Least Dangerous Places in the United States

It’s also important to learn a bit about where you might want to go to stay safe. These, for example, are the five most dangerous cities in America in terms of violent crime rate per 100,000:

  • Detroit, Michigan: 2,007.8
  • Memphis, Tennessee: 1,943.2
  • Birmingham, Alabama: 1,911.5
  • Baltimore, Maryland: 1,833.4
  • St Louis, Missouri: 1,800.4

Contrast this with the safest cities in America in terms of violent crime rate per 100,000. These have a truly miniscule crime rate overall:

  • Hopkinton, Massachusetts: Nearly 0
  • Bridgefield, Connecticut: Nearly 0
  • Madison, Connecticut: Nearly 0
  • Harrison Town, New York: 3.5
  • Bernards Township, New Jersey: 3.7

The Impact of Socioeconomic Status

Even just in looking at the most dangerous and least dangerous cities in the United States, you’ll likely already see that socioeconomic status has an impact. The 10 most dangerous cities in the United States have a poverty rate over 20% and high unemployment, whereas the safest cities have a median area income over $100,000 yearly. As you can see, the ability to make more money makes you more likely to be safe.

Conclusion

If you only get your information from the news, it’s easy to worry that the world, and the United States in particular, is extremely dangerous. As a matter of fact, the United States is safer today than it was 30 years ago. This is one of the most important things to remember when you’re trying to keep yourself and your family safe. Keep yourself up to date on the people around you and the people you trust – don’t just assume everyone’s out to get you.

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BCFS Health and Human Services Worked Hard to Keep Texans Warm and Safe During the Spring 2021 Snowstorms

The historic spring snowstorms that impacted Texas and neighboring states in the spring of 2021 started out as picturesque events for areas that do not see much annual snowfall. However, the novelty of the storms quickly turned to frustration and danger as the icy cold temperatures disrupted the Texas power grid. Millions of people lost power during and after the storms. Residents had difficulty finding grocery store items, buying gas, and heating their homes to a sufficient level to ensure their survival. Multiple relief organizations help Texans overcome the storm’s challenges, including BCFS Health and Human Services. This nonprofit organization is based in Texas and provides emergency management and response, vocational training, and educational and mental health services for children and families.

BCFS Health and Human Services’ work in Texas stretched throughout the state, reflecting the scale of the storm’s impact. In San Antonio, the organization developed a warming center at a nearby convention center. This facility provided more than 500 people a night a warm place to sleep and gain access to medical care. It was powered by BCFS Health and Human Services’ generators and offered residents blankets and other essential gear to keep them warm and comforted. The organization also addressed the water shortages in San Antonio by delivering 300 pallets of bottled water for a local food bank and other area organizations.

BCFS Health and Human Services operates several residential facilities in the state. Six of these facilities lost either power or water, or both, but due to their preparedness and BCFS Health and Human Services’ capabilities, they were all able to function without serious interruption due to on-site generators and stored food and water. Staff members were also impacted by the storm, so the organization provided food to some homebound staff who were unable to come to work. Other staff members put in extra hours at these facilities, helping setup cots and other temporary arrangements to ensure everyone’s needs were met.

Also receiving aid during the storm was Breckenridge Village of Tyler (BVT), a nonprofit that provides residential care to adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities. This organization lost power and its administrators determined residents would need to evacuate in order to maintain their safety. They worked with BCFS Health and Human Services to set up a temporary shelter facility at a chapel, with power generators, and enough cots and blankets to meet the needs of this especially vulnerable population.

 

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Event Planning & Covid: How to Have a Safe, Fun Gathering

For a long time, the covid restrictions dictated that gatherings were not allowed, but as more and more cities, states and countries start allowing things to open up again, events are slowly creeping their way back into our daily life. This of course, isn’t events to the scale and extent of big concerts and large scale weddings, but we are starting to see more business gatherings, small weddings and hybrid events that have both an in-person component along with a virtual one.

It’s not impossible to have an event in today’s environment, but it is going to be a lot harder, and there will be a lot more things to consider. The key thing is focusing on safety and making sure people can carry out the measures that will keep everyone safe. Whether you’re planning a small business summit or planning a themed birthday party, remember to create a solid plan and stick to it. What does it take to plan a safe and successful event in the time of covid? Here are the key things you need to consider.

Start With The Numbers

The number of people that you’re going to have in attendance will have a lot of bearing on how the event will be structured. First, be clear on what your state’s maximum attendance is. That number should guide you in every other decision you’re going to make in this process. If the limit is 50 people, create your guest/attendant list with that number in mind. Don’t make the mistake of inviting a lot of people above the limit with the expectation of cancellations. Assume that everyone is going to say yes and work with that.

Location and Setting

Now that you know how many people are going to be at the event, it’s time to deal with the next critical thing, where your event is going to be held and what the setting is going to be. The worst thing in this pandemic is being in an enclosed space, so remember the key is open space, big rooms or even open air if need be. If there’s a lot of space, social distancing becomes easier, and people have room to move around freely without feeling restricted.

You can also have an event that’s a mix between indoor and outdoor. Companies like American Pavillion offer large tent rentals which can allow you to have your event on a large clearing of land, with a big tent so that there’s still an indoor component. This allows you to have a lot of space, but still shelter that isn’t a walled-in room. That is the perfect way to create a balance and to also cover your basis on keeping people safe. For people who are hosting a business conference or summit, there are ways to make sure that people can attend and still be safe. One thing you can do is spread everyone out, and instead of having many people at one table, you can have one person per table.

Attendant Awareness

Whoever is going to attend your event has to know what the restrictions are in advance so that they are prepared. The last thing you want to do is brief your guests when they get there. When you invite them, give them a list of all the requirements from the social distancing, to how things will be set up and what will be expected of them. This gives them a chance to plan accordingly and also for you to know that you have guests who are fully aware. Guests want to know that you as the event organizer care about their safety. When we brief them beforehand, we show that we care and give them the peace of mind to have a good time.

Meeting Points

The one thing that will make an event complicated is food and refreshments. Points where people gather are going to be potential areas where people can come in contact. Luckily reducing the numbers of attendants will help spread people out, and when it comes to how people eat and drink, having a wait staff who can serve people while they stay in one place can help, instead of a buffet. Also making sure people wear their masks anytime they are away from their tables will also reduce the chance of potential issues.

There are still ways to have a great event even if things are a little different to what we’re used to. When it comes to event decor, many online florists offer same day delivery when it comes to fresh flowers and plants. The success of your event is really down to how well you plan it, and looking ahead to some of the issues that might arise, and following through with all the restrictions and requirements. Remember there is still the option of having a mix between online and in-person to cater to different people and to keep things like numbers manageable.

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Best Foods That Help Speed Up Addiction Recovery

Addiction recovery is a long process that requires a complete change of life habits. It involves both physical and mental health recovery, and it depends on everything you do and eat. Prolonged use of drugs or alcohol has a devastating effect on the body, so it takes a lot of effort to recover fully.

It’s no surprise that the food we eat also plays a major role in addiction recovery. Nutrition is very closely tied to health, so you must eat foods rich in vitamins and nutrients that promote faster opiate digestion. Keep reading, and we’ll give you a few useful tips that will help you get back on your feet and live a healthier life.

Alcohol and Drugs Have a Negative Effect On Eating Habits

Anyone battling addiction already knows that the everyday use of drugs and alcohol have a negative effect on eating habits. Most addicts have a very unhealthy diet, and they often don’t eat enough foods, eat unhealthy foods, and lose vital nutrients that can lead to gut damage and low production of brain chemicals.

These bad habits have a negative effect on the human mind, leading to feelings of depression, anxiety, and irritation. They are also followed by sleep disorders, increased levels of stress, tiredness, paranoia, and so on. That’s why the food we eat plays a significant role in addiction recovery.

What To Eat During Addiction Recovery

Almost every addiction recovery program starts with a balanced diet that works to improve natural hormone production in the brain. That includes eating foods with high levels of carbs, including complex carbs found in starchy foods. When combined with protein, these foods increase overall energy levels and help speed up the recovery process.

Vitamins are also important, as well as acids that usually reach dangerously low levels after years of substance abuse. Chronic alcohol consumption leads to the deficiency of minerals such as magnesium, calcium, zinc, and so on.

Recovering addicts should stick to a strict diet that includes a higher than normal nutrition. The idea is to feed your body with all of the nutrients it was missing for so long. A good portion of those nutrients will be lost due to detoxification. Generally speaking, prolonged alcohol and drug abuse lead to feelings of tiredness, a weak immune system, digestive problems, dental problems, skin conditions, and so on. Let’s take a look at what foods will help you regain your strength and finally balance out your entire body.

Foods That Help Addiction Recovery

Your diet should consist of foods rich in nutrients that help balance the production of hormones in your brain. That will not only help you improve your overall health and wellbeing, but you will also be in a better mood and feel more energized. Here are a few foods that will definitely help you recover faster.

Fish and poultry

Both types of meats contain high levels of tyrosine, an important amino acid that plays a significant role in the creation of neurotransmitters such as norepinephrine and dopamine. Both of these chemicals promote focus and a sense of wellbeing.

Bananas

Bananas are rich in tryptophan, another amino acid that isn’t processed correctly while using drugs or alcohol. It’s a critical amino acid that affects serotonin production. Serotonin is the so-called happiness hormone, so eating bananas can help improve your overall sleep quality and relaxation.

Vegetables

Vegetables are full of essential vitamins our bodies and brains need to function correctly. Eating vegetables during addiction recovery has a profound effect on restoring proper nutrition levels and helping your skin and hair regenerate better.

Yogurt

Yogurt is a natural probiotic full of good gut bacteria that promotes gut regeneration and helps improve overall nutrient absorption. It helps stabilize the digestive tract and helps you get rid of diarrhea, constipation, and gasses, which are very common among addicts.

Tofu

Tofu is a food that’s very easy to digest, and it’s full of proteins that help with liver recovery. It’s an excellent option that helps detoxify the body, improve overall liver function, and promote faster healing.

Ask For Professional Help

Addiction recovery is a very hard and mentally demanding process that can easily lead to a relapse if not done right. That’s why you should contact a professional to help guide you through the entire process. There are many different addiction recovery clinics and doctors that can help you get back on your feet.

Some people who can’t discipline themselves enough join a holistic recovery center that offers advanced programs and helps patients fully recover from their addictions. There’s nothing wrong with asking for professional help when health is concerned, especially for addiction recovery.

The Bottom Line

If you’re a recovering addict or if you’re thinking about making an effort towards a healthier life, you should definitely focus on changing your diet and eating healthy. Eliminate bad eating habits and replace them with healthier alternatives, and you will be able to stay sober and live a happier life. Don’t forget to contact a nutritionist and possibly a recovery center if you’re struggling on your own.