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This is Shadow, my 3.5-year old Alaskan Malamute.  Shadow at 6 months. Just kidding, this is Shadow. I just wanted to show a picture of him as a puppy. He's ginormous now.  Shadow on a walk in Prescott Valley - controlled burn in the background. Shadow is not a fan of New Year's Eve. He hates fireworks. New Year's Eve and Independence Day rank as his least favorite holidays. Some tips for a pet-friendly New Year's party here .   My end of year cartoon (doubled as a holiday card for clients, colleagues, friends, and family): The Industrious Hygienist and Shadow enjoy New Year's Eve together.  We'll be spending New Year's Eve cuddled up in bed, with Shadow alternating between spastic races around the house and cowering next to us in the bedroom. Fun times in the Bliss household! Wishing all my loyal readers a safe and fulfilling 2014. 

I've been planning this blog post for about a month now, but (of course) couldn't get to it until today. One of my favorite Christmas songs is Amy Grant's rendition of "My Grown-Up Christmas List."  (Ignore the fire safety issues in the video if you watch it.) It seemed especially poignant this year, so I decided to make my own list of things I am hoping will occur in the future. I re-wrote the song to fit my wishes. Yay for creative license! Sort of an open letter to the OSHA and NIOSH Santa or other wish-granting djinn. Since it's by the Industrious Hygienist, there's a slight element of sarcasm mixed with my true wish for all workers to come home safely to their families. "Grown-Up Christmas List" Do you remember me  I worked for you, you see  I wrote to you on disability Well I'm all healed-up now  But still need help somehow  I'm unemployed But still so full of dreams So here's my working wish My grown-up Christmas list Not for m...

So far we've covered general holiday safety from CDC/NIOSH and holiday stress management from CDC and Mayo Clinic. Now let's get down to the exciting stuff - fire safety. FEMA and the NFPA have partnered this year to create the following infographic for their "Put a Freeze on Winter Holiday Fires" campaign : NFPA and FEMA infographic for the "Put a Freeze on Winter Holiday Fires" campaign. The Industrious Hygienist would also like to share the following HolidayFire Safety video from FEMA (although I'm still learning how to embed videos, so click the hyperlink if you want to watch it).  The Industrious Hygienist decided to take the NFPA "Put a Freeze on Winter Fires Quiz" and test her knowledge of winter fire safety. Result? Fail. Eeek! So I feel I should defend myself on some of the wrongly answered questions. See below. Lit candles should be extinguished when you leave the room. The place where the Industrious Hygienist currently lives (we d...

The Industrious Hygienist's post yesterday shared holiday safety tips from CDC/NIOSH. Today, let's discuss stress .  Taking part in last-minute holiday shopping blitzes is sort of par for the course for many Americans. The Industrious Hygienist and spouse will be braving a few key merchandisers today to wrap up the holiday shopping. Planning the gift-buying extravaganza can be very stressful. Traveling to and from various family engagements, work functions, and parties with friends can lead to even more heightened stress levels. Finding out how to manage your schedule, pets, family, and work commitments within a ridiculously short time frame is, well, bonkers. Luckily, with the advent of Spore Consulting, the Industrious Hygienist is able to manage her own schedule and take time off as needed, but few people have that luxury. We gave ourselves memberships to Massage Envy and Lumosity for Christmas and our anniversary in June. The CDC discussed managing stress in the "12 ...

In honor of the holidays, the Industrious Hygienist would like to share her favorite holiday safety tips from recognized authorities. Today's tips are from the CDC and NIOSH . This year, CDC/NIOSH has posted a "Wishes for Workers" campaign where you can post your wishes for occupational health and safety improvements. The Industrious Hygienist will think on this and post something thought-provoking. Or at least interesting. The Industrious Hygienist's favorite wish from a CDC representative: " All of our nation�s emergency response workers are prepared and trained to respond effectively and safely to any disaster." CDR Lisa Delaney MS, CIH, Associate Director, NIOSH Emergency Preparedness and Response Office CDC/NIOSH also developed a "12 Ways to Health Holiday Song" which can be sung to the tune of, you guessed it, "The Twelve Days of Christmas." Download the audio podcast of the song here .  The Industrious Hygienist's favorite pi...