Culligan Water of the Low Country - July 2021

Culligan Water of the Low Country - July 2021

Chris and His Mom Share a Birthday A SPECIAL REASON TO CELEBRATE IN JULY WATER WISE OF THE LOW COUNTRY 2021 JULY

July has always been a fun month for me and my family. There are a few big birthdays to celebrate this month. Of course, we celebrate America’s birthday on the Fourth, and just a few weeks later on the 21st, my mom and I celebrate a joint birthday. It’s pretty neat to share a birthday with my mom, Betty. She had me on her 29th birthday — that’s quite the birthday gift! You might think that as a kid growing up, I would want the day all to myself, but that was never really the case. Having two causes for celebration just made for parties that were even more fun. Since my mom and I have a summertime birthday, our parties were usually held in our backyard where we could hang out in the pool.

We’re aiming to revive that tradition this year. We recently moved my mom to be closer to us here in Hilton Head. She was hesitant to leave New York, but we’re grateful to have her nearby. My wife found a really nice place for her, too. It feels like a resort! She’s turning 94 this year, and I’ll be celebrating the big 6-5, so we’re having the whole family and some friends over for a pool party, just like we did in years past. Heck, maybe we’ll even have to make a Texas sheet cake. My Aunt Phyllis used to make one for us every year that was so tasty. It was almost like a chocolate brownie cake. I’ll never forget that chocolate frosting. I’m sure that would really amp up my grandkids, Coleman and Caroline, and give them plenty of energy for an afternoon of fun in the sun. Birthdays are naturally a time to reflect on life. Since I share mine with my mom, I tend to reflect on my memories of growing up with her. She’s such an interesting woman. In her working years, she ran her own salon for a while before teaching at a cosmetology school. I remember people coming by our house a few nights a week to get haircuts in her home salon. Of course, she cut me and my sister’s hair when we were kids, but later on, she even cut my boss’s hair. She is a really well-rounded person, too. Before her days as a hairstylist, she was a national 4H winner for her work training horses. These days, she loves playing cards and spending time with the family as much as possible. That’s been hard in recent years as, both my sister and I were living quite far away. Now that she’s close by, I’m looking forward to having regular visits and dinners together. The only sad thing about her leaving New York is that I have one less reason to go back to visit and eat at my favorite haunts! I hope you take an evening or two this month to grill your favorite foods and have a celebration, whether it’s for America’s 245th birthday or just because we’ve made it to the halfway point of the year. –Chris Lane

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GET YOUR TRAIN OF THOUGHT BACK ON TRACK

FUN FACTS ABOUT THE FOURTH OF JULY You Can Share With Your Kids

Recovery Hacks

Have you ever been in the middle of a conversation, presentation, or debate, stringing together thoughts in a way you hope is coherent and insightful when — poof! — you lose your train of thought? It’s frustrating. You just want to make yourself understood, but your brain has other plans. What if there were a way to keep your train of thought on track? Well, the good news is that recovering your train of thought is easy with the following hacks in mind. Repeat, repeat, repeat yourself. Paraphrasing your last few thoughts out loud can help you remember where you were going. Think of it as retracing your steps: You go back to the last words you remember saying, and more often than not, you’ll find your direction again. Take a short pause. Pausing briefly is a great way to make recovering your train of thought seem natural. This hack works really well if you’re answering a question and you need time to think, and you also don’t want to be bogged down by a chorus of “ums” escaping from your mouth. Write it all down . This hack works well when you know beforehand that you’ll be speaking with someone or in front of people. Even if you never refer to your notes while speaking, simply writing down a road map for your train of thought can help you recover from a detour and speak more confidently. Remember your overall point. The easiest way to drive your train of thought into the weeds is to forget your overall point — or not to have an overriding point at all. Always have a short, overarching point you can use to recenter yourself and get back on track. With these hacks, your brain will have to work a lot harder to make you lose your train of thought! Now you’ll be more prepared to tackle any subject matter, no matter how deep or technical, that comes your way.

What do your kids know about the Fourth of July? Do they know it’s a day when you have a barbecue, spend time with friends and neighbors, and watch a fireworks show? These hallmarks of the holiday certainly do make it fun and memorable, but they don’t really exemplify why we celebrate the Fourth of July, the anniversary of when the United States declared its independence from Britain. So, along with the sparklers and hot dogs, here are a few fun facts about Independence Day you can share with your kids to help them understand the significance of the holiday. The Fourth of July marks our country’s independence because it’s when the Continental Congress ratified the Declaration of Independence. This fact might seem like a no-brainer, but it contextualizes the holiday for kids. It’s a great jumping-off point to talk about why the United States wanted to be its own country, what the Continental Congress was, what the Declaration of Independence said, and what it means to “ratify” something. Two future presidents signed the Declaration of Independence: John Adams and Thomas Jefferson . They both died exactly 50 years later, on July 4, 1826. This fact is an interesting coincidence sure to fascinate both kids and adults. It’s also a great way to introduce kids to some of the Founding Fathers and share how they helped shape the United States today. In 1776, the year the United States was founded, only 2.5 million people lived here. Today, the U.S. population is 331 million. Lots of people have been born in the United States since it was founded, and millions more came here from other places, hoping to find a better life. Many succeeded, too. Many people want to call this country home! On the Fourth of July, around 155 million hot dogs are eaten in the United States. Okay, so this fact might not have anything to do with American history, but it’s still pretty funny! If anything, the fact that we have so many hot dogs to eat on that day is evidence of the prosperity so many people enjoy in the United States of America.

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ARE THE CARTOONS YOUR KIDS WATCH ACTUALLY MADE FOR KIDS?

With the many streaming platforms out there, kids have access to a more diverse array of content than ever before. That being said, parents need to be extra vigilant about which shows and videos are captivating their children’s attention, particularly when it comes to cartoons. Cartoons on their own aren’t bad for kids. In fact, enjoying them in moderation can have myriad benefits for a child’s development. They can bring laughter and relieve stress, engage a child’s

animation becoming more popular in recent years, many of the cartoons available on TV, streaming services, and YouTube are explicitly not for children.

So, how can parents make sure the cartoons their kids are watching are safe, wholesome, and educational?

In recent years, as YouTube has continued to amass countless hours of video content — much of it geared toward children — they’ve developed YouTube Kids, their

imagination, help them develop their language skills, and teach them about topics ranging from mathematics to social skills. The best cartoons can be bright, colorful, funny stories that help children learn and grow.

streaming site for children under the age of 13. This site isn’t airtight, however, and disturbing content can sometimes slip through the cracks. Parents might also find value in sticking to certain channels or streaming services, such as PBS Kids, Nick Jr., or Disney+. There are also organizations like the Parents and Television Media Council, whose website, ParentsTV.org, can help parents determine which cartoons are okay for their kids to watch.

That said, though, not all cartoons are for kids, nor do they teach good lessons. Many cartoon characters encourage violence and speaking rudely to teachers and other authority figures. Additionally, with adult

Ultimately, the best way to ensure cartoons are safe is to watch with your kids. After all, this turns a solitary activity into one where parents can learn, laugh, and bond with their children.

MEXICAN CORN SALAD

TAKE A BREAK

Ingredients • 4 cups of fresh corn, cut from 5 cobs • 1 tbsp olive oil • 1/2 red bell pepper, chopped • 1/2 red onion, diced • 6 green onions, chopped • 1 jalapeno, diced • 1/2 avocado, cubed • 1/4 cup fresh-squeezed lime juice

• 1/2 cup fresh cilantro, chopped • 1/2 cup cotija or feta cheese, crumbled Directions 1. In a cast-iron skillet over medium-high heat, add oil and corn. Cook, stirring occasionally, for 3–5 minutes or until corn starts to char. 2. Add the corn to a large bowl and let cool for 5 minutes, then add the remaining ingredients and stir together until well combined. Taste and adjust seasoning. 3. The salad pairs well with grilled entrees and can be refrigerated in an airtight container for up to 4 days.

• 1/2 tsp ground cumin • 1/2 tsp smoked paprika • Salt and pepper, to taste

• 2 tbsp sour cream • 2 tbsp mayonnaise

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OF THE LOW COUNTRY

INSIDE

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Why Chris’ Birthday Celebration Is Special

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Fourth of July Fun Facts to Share With the Kids

Life Hack: How to Recover Your Train of Thought

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Are Your Children’s Favorite Cartoons Actually for Kids?

Mexican Corn Salad

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Is ‘Hammocking’ a Better Way to Sleep?

IS ‘HAMMOCKING’ A BETTERWAY TO SLEEP? (Theoretical) Benefits of Sleeping While Swinging

Hammocking has become a popular leisure activity within the last 5–10 years, with the global hammock market growing about 17% between 2017 and 2021. As fun as it is, though, could hammocking be more than that? Could it be a better way to sleep, not just on camping trips or in the park, but in our homes, too? The short answer is that the >Page 1 Page 2 Page 3 Page 4

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