Features – Page 2

One In Five Suffer From Pollen Allergy

August 18, 2016 By editor

Pollen from grasses, weeds or trees can trigger symptoms of allergic rhinitis (hay fever) and asthma. Pollen seasons can last for several months and exposure is difficult to avoid. Pollen grains can be spread by birds, bees or wind, with airborne pollen causing most allergies.

Allergic rhinitis symptoms are the body’s immune response to inhaled pollen, resulting in chronic inflammation of the eyes and nasal passages. Symptoms include runny, itchy and congested nose; irritable, itchy, watery and red eyes; and itchy ears, throat and palate. Allergic rhinitis affects around 1 in 5 people in Australia and can lead to frequent sinus infections.

Pollination times vary with the plant variety and its location. For example, trees pollinate in late winter and early spring. Grasses flower next, and the weed ‘Plantain’ flowers from August to May.

White Cypress (Murray) Pine is the only Australian tree that produces highly allergenic pollen. Its growth extends from the western slopes and plains of Eastern Australia to Western Australia, and it flowers from late July to the end of August.

Many species of Casuarina produce pollen throughout the year and may cause allergic rhinitis symptoms at any time.

Tips for reducing pollen exposure
• Stay indoors until after midday, if possible.
• Try to avoid going out on windy days or after thunderstorms.
• Wear sunglasses to protect your eyes.
• Do not mow the grass and stay inside when it is being mown.
• Consider planting a low allergen garden around the home.
• Keep windows closed both at home and in your car.
• Do not picnic in parks or in the country during the pollen season.
• Try to plan holidays out of the pollen season or holiday at the seaside.
• Remove weeds or trees outside your bedroom window you are sensitive to.
• Research plants less likely to trigger allergic rhinitis or asthma to plant in your garden.
• Shower when you arrive home and rinse your eyes frequently with water.

Medications or treatments will relieve symptoms, but do not cure allergies.
• Antihistamine tablets or syrups (nonsedating) help to reduce symptoms, but they are not as effective in controlling severe nasal blockage and dribble.
• Intranasal corticosteroid nasal sprays (INCS) have a potent action on inflammation when used regularly.
• Combination medications containing an antihistamine and intranasal corticosteroid nasal spray offer the combined advantages of both medications.
• Decongestant sprays unblock and dry the nose, but should not be used for more than a few days.
• Decongestant tablets unblock and dry the nose, but should be used with caution.
• Natural products such as salt water nasal sprays or douches can be effective in relieving symptoms.

Source: Australasian Society of Clinical Immunology and Allergy (ASCIA)

Between The Sheets

July 21, 2016 By editor

Bedrooms are no longer just a place to lay your head after a long day of toiling. Whether we work outside of our home or inside its walls raising children, our bedroom can be a room of great importance and significance to our wellbeing. A bedroom can be a private sanctuary that we can retreat and withdraw to when needed. By escaping from the outside world for a while, a beautiful bedroom can allow us to relax and unwind, taking pleasure in the fact that we are safe and secure in a tranquil space that we have created for ourselves.

By surrounding yourself with items you love and cherish, your bedroom can become a true reflection of your own personality. Because your bedroom is a private space you can really express your own personal style in a much more dramatic way.

A bedroom is not on show to the world like the main entertaining areas of your home, so decorating choices can be bolder. Get daring and express yourself with colour, prints and patterns. When choosing your bedding and curtaining don’t be afraid to mix patterns and prints as well as incorporating different textures into the choices you make.

Purchasing a quality mattress and bed will ensure that you will have that sensational night’s sleep you have been longing for. But for an instant update, just change your bedding. A new quilt cover can work miracles in changing the overall look to a room. Throws and cushions add texture, warmth and bring the whole theme together.

And in my opinion the more cushions you pile on the bed, the better the effect. This is a design rule that I follow to the letter, as all my friends will attest to when they see my own bed. Remember to decorate with pieces you love and that hold special significance to you, as well as incorporating photos of loved ones to really create a story about your life. I personally love groupings of photos arranged in block formations with the same framing to give a really designer look to our everyday family photos.

A well-placed rug in a bedroom will have maximum impact in giving your private space a really luxurious feel. Imagine placing your feet on a soft shag rug each morning when you step out of bed.

Making sure you have enough storage is also critical to gaining maximum efficiency from how you are going to use your bedroom. There will be no solace sought in the space if clutter is intruding on your life. Lamps and soft lighting will give the space an intimate feel, add an armchair and your room is ready to go. So grab your latest copy of my magazine or the current novel you are reading, curl up in your favourite chair or lay on your new bed surrounded by cushions and start enjoying the fruits of your labour.

By Karen Creith
www.karencreith.com.au

Fit4Life Opens In Forbes

July 21, 2016 By editor

Debbie Hearan, who has been the manager at Curves for the past nine years, has finally taken the plunge and set up her own fitness business in Forbes. She took over the old Curves on 1st July, and renamed it Fit4Life. The name certainly says it all.

With Debbie’s years of experience in the fitness industry, she saw this opportunity as something that she has been keen to do for many years. A lot of members who have been coming to the centre for years are delighted with
Debbie taking the reins. Not being part of a franchise means that Debbie can offer a lot more services to her clients, including a young mother’s group as well as men’s classes. With summer just around the corner, it is a good time to start a fitness programme. Give Debbie a call for more details.

Italian Fare At Aglio E Olio

July 21, 2016 By editor

Come in and try the selection of delicious pizzas and pastas at dinner or perhaps a light lunch of sandwiches, focaccias, melts or anything from the ever-changing menu. They create a new one every week. Call in to the Homemaker Centre in Forbes (near Bunnings) or call them on 6851 5522.

Dancing Around The Stove At Kazza’s

July 21, 2016 By editor

Kazza’s Kitchen is a home cooking business run by mother and daughter team, Karen and Ash. The pair focus on creating evening meals for busy families, lunch time single meals, and of course the good old sweet-tooth treat. A home cooking business had always been a dream for Karen. It was realised when her daughter, Ash, took a year off university to join her Mum to set up the business. Together they make a wonderful team: Karen bringing the old-fashioned recipes everyone loves, and Ash bringing some creative new ideas to life.

Kazza’s Kitchen is no ordinary kitchen. It’s not unusual to find the girls dancing and singing around the stove to a Michael Jackson tune, adding a whole lot of love to the food that you order.

Record Prices Recorded In Livestock Markets

July 7, 2016 By editor

Rain rain and more rain. Well yet another exiting month in the livestock
markets with some record prices being experienced.
The month of June has seen some more significant rises in both
sheep and cattle markets and this has all came down to the supply
and demand factor.
On the sheep and lamb front we are seeing dwindling supply and
drastic decreases in quality which, in turn, is seeing the prime condition
livestock attract premium prices.
This week we have seen the first of the new season 2nd X suckers
enter the market and attract strong competition and receiving up to
$160 or $6.50 to $6.80c/kg. We are still seeing very strong prices
and competition in the heavy domestic and export categories with
prices still in the mid to late 600c/kg mark.
We are starting to see secondary lambs get discounted and I believe
this will become more apparent over the next month. The mutton
market over the last month has firmed to sit around the 400c/kg
mark and should stay at these prices for the coming weeks.
On the cattle front we are seeing a record high Eastern Young Cattle
Indicator (EYCI) sitting currently at $6.59c/kg. How strong can it
get? Your guess is as good as mine.
Over the last month we have seen some very good grain fed cattle
enter the market and return some massive prices up to $3.50c/kg
and head returns of up to $2200. Feeder and restocker cattle are
reaching new levels again with restocking steers up to $4.10c/kg
and heavy feeder steers up to $3.75.
The cow market has been very sporadic with prices easing this
week. The best of our cows made up to $2.60c/kg back from $2.80c/
kg the week prior.
The next month will be an exciting one for all produces, agents and
processors trying to juggle these markets.
For any other information on markets don’t hesitate to call.
By Adam Chudleigh

Jemalong Wool Pty Ltd Weekly Market Update

July 7, 2016 By editor

Week ending: 30 June 2016
It was a strong finish to the 2015/16 season with the NRI gaining 14 cents to close at 1,317 the second highest season closing level on record.

Although all 3 centres were in operation it was another small sale of 28,866 bales making it the smallest 3-centre sale since August. It was a similar pattern to last week with the overall market spurred on by strong support in the medium/broader micron ranges, while the finer microns results lagged their broader counterparts, firming by a more modest 5 to 10 cents clean.

Merino Skirtings maintained good competition and firmed slightly. Merino Cardings also held firm for the week. Crossbreds had mixed results; recent support for the finer microns (25/26) persisted this week while the broader microns lost ground.

Two more auctions remain before the annual three week recess; next week is estimated at 38,265 bales.

Wet Weather Affects Stock Grazing

July 7, 2016 By editor

With all the wet weather stock grazing on winter forage crops may not be currently performing to their potential. Symptoms may include scouring, increased respiration, agitation, nasal and ocular discharge and lameness.

There is often a poor balance of the nutrients stock required to ensure their digestive and metabolic systems function properly. This results in poor feed utilisation (wasted feed), poor growth and weight gain potential.

Supplementation of stock with Grazemax Ultra loose mix has shown significant weight gain advantages and up to 65% less feed consumed per kilo of weight gain. Crop nitrogen requirements should also be closely assessed to meet potential crop demands.

Many factors will influence crop requirements such as paddock history, sowing nutrition, grazing, target yield and weed presume to name a few. Ground-spread topdressing opportunities are a little difficult at the moment so it’s best to be prepared. Speak to a local agronomist to help with topdressing considerations.

Introduction to Shead & Nicholson

June 30, 2016 By editor

Shead & Nicholson in Forester Street are the local experts for all
things electrical in Forbes. Not only do they conduct contract electrical
and air conditioning work, they are also retailers of a wide range
of electrical equipment and accessories.
There is no job too big or too small for the team at Shead & Nicholson.
From major industrial construction projects through to the
smallest electrical repair, the team at Shead & Nicholson are only
too happy to help.
As the oldest electrical contracting business in town, with over 45
years experience, Shead & Nicholson have built a reputation for
excellence in workmanship and excellence in service.
The business started as a partnership between long-time friends,
Des Shead and Kerry Nicholson in 1967. In the early days business
mainly consisted of domestic wiring but as time went by the
pair expanded their operation to include small appliance repair, air
conditioning maintenance, and installation and major construction
projects.
Des and Kerry both retired in March 2009 and have left the business
in the capable hands of the new General Manager, Phill Gale
and 23 staff members. The premises consists of a retail showroom,
office complex with a workshop, store and yard area.
Past major projects include electrical and mechanical work done
at Red Bend Catholic College, Parkes Shire Council, Parkes Library,
Henry Parkes Museum, Station Hotel, Parkes, Victoria Inn,
Forbes, Jemalong Residential Village, Forbes, Forbes Car Wash,
Woolworth Fuel, Forbes Services Club refurbishment, Parkes Services
Club refurbishment, Austasia Animal Nutrition, Forbes, Niola
Nursing Home, Parkes, Southern Cross Village, Parkes, DOC’s
Building, and Forbes Business Centre – Bunnings and Spotlight.
They have ongoing electrical and air conditioning maintenance
and repairs with many businesses in Forbes, Parkes, Condobolin,
Canowindra and Sydney. The retail, showroom and sales include
wall split refrigerated air conditioning units and spare parts, split
ducted refrigerated air conditioning units and spare parts, evaporative
air conditioning and spare parts, gas ducted heaters, power
tools, specialized lamps, lighting, electrical supplies and accessories,
hot water systems and spare parts, ceiling, personal and exhaust
fans, door chimes, electric heating and electric motors.
Contact Shead & Nicholson on 6851 144.

What Makes a Splashback?

June 30, 2016 By editor

Glass splashbacks are a sure way to enhance the appearance of your new kitchen layout. And not only do they look great, splashbacks also make the job of cleaning in the kitchen heaps easier and much faster.

When the staff at Glassplace measure a kitchen for a new splashback, we check the size of cupboards, benches, work areas and windows. Most splashbacks are made from low iron toughened 6mm glass or from special mirrored glass. It’s toughened to handle the heat from the cooktop. And we use low iron glass because ordinary glass has a very slight green tint, which is not noticeable until it is painted, but it can slightly change the appearance of the splashback when installed, especially if using light or white colours.

The colour choice is totally yours. Some customers want a very plain colour to blend in with walls and cupboards, while others like to have a bold colour to enhance the look of their new kitchen.

So after we have the size and shape of the splashback pieces confirmed, it’s up to our glass supplier to cut the pieces to size and shape, polish the edges, do cut outs for power points and then toughen each piece in a furnace. When the glass has cooled it goes through a chemical wash, gets dried and has three coats of paint applied on the back surface.

When the glass comes to our workshop we unwrap it, check it for size and imperfections. Then we take it to your place and carefully fit each piece and seal it all to the wall with a sanitary grade silicone. That’s it – finished!

That’s when you get to see what you have planned and dreamed of for a few weeks and show your friends and neighbours and enjoy what is often the focal point of your new kitchen. Call Glassplace on 6862 2346 and we can advise, measure and quote a glass splashback for you.

By Col Lamrock

One In Five Suffer From Pollen Allergy

Between The Sheets

Fit4Life Opens In Forbes

Italian Fare At Aglio E Olio

Dancing Around The Stove At Kazza’s

Record Prices Recorded In Livestock Markets

Jemalong Wool Pty Ltd Weekly Market Update

Wet Weather Affects Stock Grazing

Introduction to Shead & Nicholson

What Makes a Splashback?

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