Your health
If you're attending holiday parties this month, chances are you'll be offered an alcoholic drink.
A sensible way to imbibe is to alternate alcoholic drinks with nonalcoholic options like juice or sparkling water. According to the National Institutes of Health, your liver can break down only about half a drink per hour. When you drink faster than your liver can work, the level of alcohol in your blood climbs, affecting your heart, brain and other organs.
If you get a hangover, don't try to ease your headache with acetaminophen, which can interact with alcohol and damage your liver. Aspirin or ibuprofen are OK. Sleep, food and nonalcoholic beverages can also help, but the only real cure is time for your body to clear alcohol from your system.
Save your back
If your back aches every time you put your child into his car seat, re-examine your technique.
Kim Zack, a physical therapist at Women's Physical Therapy Institute in Lake Zurich, recommends you get as close to the seat as possible. That might mean kneeling on the seat or stepping into the car.
Tighten your abdominal muscles when you lift your child. This is key when you twist your body into awkward postures like reaching into the car.
When possible, have your child climb into the seat on his own or with a little help from you.
One size fits all
Need a last-minute gift? Here are a few "safe" ideas from the American Red Cross of Greater Chicago.
• Health and safety classes are discounted 10 percent if you register before Dec. 31. New parents might appreciate an infant CPR class. Pet owners might like to learn dog or cat CPR and first aid. An enterprising teenager could make extra cash with an American Red Cross babysitting certification.
• Travelers, parents and just about anyone else is likely to welcome a new first aid kit. The Red Cross offers a variety of kits ranging from a $5 personal kit to a $65 emergency preparedness pack.
Log on to www.chicagoredcross.org or call (800) 337-2338.