March 2020

Whether you call it cabin fever or going stir crazy—one thing is for sure, having to lock your kids in the house is no fun for anyone. While it’s important your children understand why they can’t hang out with their friends or do many of the things they usually enjoy, it’s also part of every parent’s job to step up during this pandemic and make sure their kids are doing more than just zonking out in front of your TV.

With that in mind, here are some fun, mentally stimulating things you can help your kids do during this time of quarantine and social distancing:

Set Up a Treasure Hunt

Treasure hunts are pretty easy and depending on how many items there are, could last a while. Hide anywhere from 10 to 20 items around the house or outside to

A new Covid-19 drive-thru testing site will be opening up on Tuesday, March 31, in Palm Beach County. The site will be at FITTEAM Ballpark of Palm Beaches. County officials say they decided on this location because of its geographical location and size.

In order to get tested, patients have to schedule a telephone appointment with the Health Care District of Palm Beach County. Patients can start making appointments on Monday, March 30 from 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. On-site testing will begin on Tuesday.

All testing will be done from inside patients' vehicles and results. Test results should take approximately two to three days to come back.

Individuals who test positive will be advised of isolation and quarantine protocols and referred for

There are still plenty of ways to stay connected to friends, family, and coworkers, even while practicing responsible social distancing. Here are a few of the things you can use to keep your sanity by staying connected while in isolation.

Marco Polo App

Marco Polo lets you talk to your friends through video chat — but it’s not live. Their push-to-talk feature creates a sort of digital walkie talkie where you leave someone a video, or ‘Polo’, and they watch it whenever they get the chance. This app is for people who want to see their loved ones’ faces, they want to hear what they’re up to, but they might not have the time to sit there and video chat.

Netflix Party

When the theatres are closed, and people can’t come to you for movie night,

These days, staying in is the new going out and what better way to enjoy a night at home is to have some fun.  Being at home is a creative way to mix up your routines and try something new. 

Here are our top things to do at home.

1. Board Games and Puzzles

Whether its playing Chess, Twister or putting together a 1,000 piece puzzle, board games and puzzles are a great way to keep your brain active and keeps you thinking. 

2. Baking

Research has shown that baking is a way for people to relieve stress and what better way to do so then with a tasty treat. 

3.  Stream your favorite movies and TV shows

Now is the time to download Netflix, Disney+, Hulu and other streaming apps and sit back and enjoy some of your favorite movies and TV

Palm Beach County along with much of the country is in order to close non-essential business. This includes Beaches, restaurants (except for pickup and delivery), bars, golf courses, parks, gyms, marinas, schools are just some of the things closed in Palm Beach County because of the coronavirus outbreak.

Businesses considered critical and thus can remain open

Here are some of the types of businesses that will remain open as they are considered critical.

• Hospitals, doctors’ and dentists’ offices, pharmacies

• Grocery stores, convenience stores, liquor stores

• Homeless shelters, social service agencies

• Urgent care centers, physical therapists; mental health professionals; labs; blood banks, home health agencies

Over thirty scientists at Scripps Research Institute in Jupiter are banding together to do what they can to help fight the Coronavirus.

Scripps Research Institute in Jupiter is a large biomedical research center that specializes in the research and development of many different types of drugs and medical services. Scripps also houses some the world’s leading experts in a number of different fields, many of whom are now working together to see if they can help the Coronavirus pandemic.

The Palm Beach Post interview Scripps scientist Michael Farzan on the story.

“We don’t know that anything’s going to be helpful but everybody’s trying to provide some helpful piece on the margins, hoping to pull everyone forward,” said Farzan, who is based in

Palm Beach Gardens announced additional closures and changes to its business operations Wednesday in response to the new coronavirus.

One day after closing City Hall and the Building Department to members of the public unless they have an appointment, the city went a step further and closed both lobbies entirely.

All appointments or meetings will be conducted via teleconference, the city said on its website.

Palm Beach Gardens also closed all city playgrounds, athletic court facilities for pickleball, tennis, and basketball, and Lilac Dog Park until further notice.

Signage will be placed at the entrances, and the gates will be locked, the city said.

All closures and business operations changes take effect at 5 p.m. Wednesday.

These

The spring season is upon us and there is nothing better than coming home to a clean and de-cluttered home. Spring-cleaning time is a way to give your favorite clothes, accessories, chairs and daily go- to’s a refresh. 

Here are some Spring Cleaning Tips from Good Housekeeping Magazine. 

1. Replace or clean your outdoor doormat. Doormats trap a lot of dirt that can be brought inside the home. 

2. Clean your windows and blinds with a glass cleaner and a microfiber cloth to get rid of all the streaks and dust build up. 

3. Clean your kitchen sink and garbage disposal with lemons.  Simply cut up a few pieces of lemons and drop them down the garbage disposal and turn it on to get your kitchen smelling like a fresh lemon scent. 

4. Your

So, the family is stuck at home bored, and you finished a 1000-piece puzzle you thought you would never even try. Now what? Maybe you want to move it off the dining room table, but don’t want to break it apart just yet. You could use Modge Podge to glue it together forever, OR you can keep it together temporarily with supplies you have at the house!

Here’s how to keep a puzzle together without glue!

When the puzzle is completed and assuming you put it together on top of a poster board, place a 2nd poster board (or very tight Saran Wrap) over the top of the completed puzzle and carefully (and I mean very carefully) flip the puzzle over. Hopefully you didn’t just flip the puzzle back into a thousand pieces, and you have it flat on its front.

“Ok,

Research conducted by the National Summer Learning Association states that if children take a lengthy break from learning they will not only miss out on learning new information but also can lose up to three months of math and reading skills from the previous months. 

Here are some ways to keep kids engaged and learning all day long. 

• Learn to Play Chess: Chess helps you focus, think ahead and work through situations.  For those who do not know how to play Chess, there are plenty of online tutorials and lessons for you to learn, chesskid.com is a free online website and app that can help you learn. 
• Let the kids make dinner: By allowing kids to make dinner allows them to make healthy lifestyle choices and learn what is good for you to