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December 9, 2020December 2, 2020

Gift Guide 2020

Tenth Street Hats, an Oakland California company, makes all kinds of hats, from bowlers to straw boaters, from Panamas to Pork Pies. Brown Derby is shown $56 tenthstreethats.com.

For the cocktail connoisseur in your life, miniature drink mixers are single- serving craft cocktails for the sophisticated set. Simply pour the contents of one bottle over ice, add a shot of the desired spirit (or not if you prefer a zero proof), and fill to the brim with club soda (or tomato juice for the Bloody Mary). Recipes for each flavor are printed on the box. Includes Mojito, Salted Paloma, Hurricane, Lemon Drop & Bloody Mary $22. https://www.elguapobitters.com/.

Silk pillowcases from Celestial Silk range from $35.99-$39.99 depending on size and can be found at celestialsilk.com or Amazon.

UV CARE Pocket Sterilizer is great for cell phones, keyboards, doorknobs, and countertops. It eliminates germs, bacteria, viruses, allergens, and molds using UV-C light technology. It’s powered by four AAA batteries or a mini USB cable. $42.99 at https://theuvcare.com/ or Amazon.

Thinking of something extra special for your 2020 COVID-quarantine sweetheart? Perhaps all she wants for Christmas is a 14K white gold pendant with .45ct of diamonds. $1,500 at David Barry Jewelers in Boynton Beach.

B3 Blitz by Creative Brainworks is an engaging, fast-paced game of skill that will keep kids and adults occupied and help prevent them from going COVID-crazy. B3 Blitz can be played indoors or outdoors, with bean bags or pong balls, and distance from the stand increases the skill level required. Game comes complete with a stand, buckets, 8 bean bags, 4 pong balls, and a convenient drawstring backpack to keep everything in one place. $29.99 on Amazon.

LooHoo Wool Dryer Balls are “a reusable, energy- saving alternative to dryer sheets. They naturally soften clothes without the use of unwanted harmful chemicals contained in dryer sheets.” This $39 set also comes with a 2 oz. bottle of “Sweet Dreams Linen Mist,” and a spring of lavender. https://www.loo-hoo.com/.

Interested in combining your experiences of the past with the technology of today to make sure your memories truly last forever by digitizing your precious moments for future generations? Enter Legacybox. Prices start at $32.99 and up. Simply send your old home movies, photos, memorabilia, and more and they will do the rest.

Dermatologist approved, this CBD infused tinted body shimmer oil is cruelty-free, made in the USA, and comes in three shades. The oil can be applied to face, lip, hair, and body. CBD adds a soothing feel to your daily routine. $45 shopmajorbody.com.

Love to listen and jam out to music whether at the gym or during downtime? Apple Airpods are the best gift for someone who likes to block out their surroundings and tune in to the beat of the music. Buy yours on sale today on Amazon for $159.

Mahjongg wipes are for the man or woman who has everything, and we mean absolutely everything. We bring you Mahjongg wipes from Parkland resident Jill Fox. $11.99 and up at mahjonggwipes.com.

Dangerous Minds Brewing Co. in Pompano Beach. Growlers & Crowlers To-Go of your favorite local brew are the perfect way to imbibe at home, with your socially-distanced crew, or as a gift for the holidays. Growlers $5/ea. Refills vary depending on the variety of beer $10-21/each. https://dangerousmindsbrewing.com/.

Get calm this holiday season. The Calm Gift Set supports everyday stresses, but we like to think of it as spreading peace and relaxation for the holidays. A botanical blend of lemon balm and Charlotte’s Web hemp extract in the tasty Calm gummies plus the high concentration 60mg CBD oil will ease winter days and nights. Add a hemp-infused roll-on to take wellness one step further with aromatherapy self-care. Starting at $115.47. Visit charlottesweb.com/calm-gift-set.

A family’s struggle with their 5-year-old daughter’s cancer spawned the non-profit Colorado company Brave Hoods, selling incredibly soft and comfortable hoodies, T-shirts, mugs, bags, and robes. For every shirt it sells, the company donates one to a child fighting cancer. An incredible variety for all ages, prices range from $12 for a mug to $45 for a hoodie. Visit BraveHoods.org.

Philanthrobee.com offers a plethora of honey-based skincare products for men and women. There’s even a $10 gift card on the site. Prices vary.

Doshi is the company that makes vegan belts, bags, wallets, and more. Items from $20 and up. Lady Bag 2 is their statement vegan bag. $189 at Doshi.shop.

Meet Stealth – the fitness tool that makes sneaking in a workout at home as fun and easy as playing a game! Their unique platform device uses gameplay technology to transform your body into a game controller. $99 on Amazon.

Do you know your Jackson Pollock from your Yayoi Kusama? This modernism edition of “The Museum Tour” can help your whole family learn more about these famous artists. $45 from cityspotsonline.com or Amazon.

October 2, 2020October 2, 2020

DO YOU OR DOES SOMEONE YOU KNOW SNORE?

Do you or does someone you know snore? Are you tired during the
day? Maybe you fall asleep during the day and rest? Snoring causes a disruption in sleep patterns for both the patient and their partner. Sleep plays a vital role in good health and well-being throughout your life. Ongoing sleep deficiency can raise the risk factors for chronic health issues such as high blood pressure, heart attack, stroke, asthma, COPD, cancer, arthritis, kidney disease, diabetes, and depression. It can also affect how well we react at work, absorb new information, and get along with others.

There are different types of snoring:

(1) Palatal snoring is the most common. This occurs when the air flows past the relaxed tissues in the soft palate and causes the tissue to vibrate. Loose palate tissue obstructs the airway causing loud snoring.

(2) Obstructive Sleep Apnea is caused by the throat muscle relaxing too much during sleep which will cause pauses in breathing, thus reducing blood oxygen levels.

Other factors related to snoring are alcohol consumption, body weight, sleep position, or nasal obstruction.

Patients who snore should have an evaluation by a medical professional to
determine if a sleep study is necessary. If the patient has sleep apnea, it will require the use of a C-pap machine to assist in keeping the airway open during sleep.

Many dentists now aid in the evaluation of snoring and sleep apnea and are able to treat your palatal snoring, or refer you to a sleep specialist.

If a patient has palatal snoring, it an be treated with a new innovative treatment using a SOLEA Laser. It isa short, non-invasive treatment with no downtime, no cutting, and no discomfort. The laser treats the collagen in the soft palate with a 15-minute procedure that will tighten the palate. The patient will notice a difference in the first night regarding their snoring and the palate will continue to tighten and improve over the next two weeks. This procedure can’t cure sleep apnea but can aid in the treatment of shrinking the soft palate tissue.

Compared to other lasers for this treatment, SOLEA treats the soft palate in one 15-minute session. Other lasers need three 20-minute sessions to correct.

So, if you or someone you know suffers from snoring or any of the above symptoms, call your usual medical professional for a consultation today. It can save your life.

By Candace R. Colella D.M.D., P.A.

October 2, 2020October 2, 2020

To sleep, perchance to scheme – ay there’s the rub

Sleepopolis.com is a website that bills itself as “Your Ultimate Sleep Destination.”

That must be true, because I’ve been trying to reach them for months and they never, ever answer their phone or respond to emails.

I figure they all must be catching like 40 million winks. If I apply the highly respected “Rip Van Winkle snooze postulate,” first developed by Washington Irving in 1819, I’m not going to hear from them until 2040.

That’s a hell of a power nap.

OK, so here’s what happened. Last April I read a story in the Miami Herald about a survey Sleepopolis.com had done about the best cities for sleeping. The story said Miami was rated 246 out of 300 Florida towns.

So, I looked up the whole study and discovered that Parkland, our Parkland, was among the top ten best Florida cities for sleeping, snoring in at number six, right between Miami Shores and Fruit Cove. Wow, what a story.

The only other area city to make the top ten was Palm Beach, which nodded off at number nine.

As for the rest of Broward County? How do you spell that noise you make when you put the “P” sound with the “F” sound and end with a bunch of “T” sounds?

Pfttt?

And this was not a casual study. Sleepopolis included factors like drinking, smoking, obesity, physical and mental health, exercise, and unemployment. Surprisingly, the only critical factor overlooked was whether sleepers had a My Pillow under their noggins.

But still, how can Parkland rank sixth and Coral Springs103rd or Coconut Creek way down at 193? Is that much more drinking and smoking and not exercising going on in cities literally right next door to us? I don’t think so.

The worst Broward County city was North Lauderdale, ranking 298 out of 300. I don’t even want to know what goes on there.

The study “measured,” and I use the word with total sarcasm, 20 of Broward County’s two dozen cities. But as I looked at all the numbers, I noticed scores for things like obesity, drinking, and sleepless nights were almost identical for most towns. There was only one measurement that differed significantly.

And that measurement is why Sleepopolis won’t return my calls.

I put the 20 Broward County cities in a spreadsheet. The cities fell in line perfectly according to one factor: Median income.

Parkland, in first place among Broward towns, had a median income of $131,525. The median income of the last place, North Lauderdale was more than three times less at $41,841. There were no exceptions. Rankings dropped as median incomes fell; one by one, in perfect order; from Parkland, Cooper City, and Weston at the top; to Margate, Dania Beach, and North Lauderdale at the bottom.

The Miami Herald should have taken a harder look before condemning its town’s ability to get a good night’s sleep. Maybe it’s just a case of projection. Given the paper’s pending bankruptcy and hedge fund guys rubbing their hands together gleefully, I’m sure folks at the Herald aren’t sleeping that well. Maybe they should commute fromParkland.

By Richard Battin
editor@theparklander.com