You can buy or make your own bath salts. Most bath salts are made using Epsom salts or Dead Sea salts. You can also look for products that contain pink sea salt, Dendritic salt, or Icelandic Geothermal Brine. Your bath salts may be fine, grainy, or coarse depending on the texture you prefer. For a very simple bath salt, you can simply use dye and fragrance-free Epsom salts. Put the plug in your bathtub and run hot water. Fill the tub halfway with water that's as hot as you like it and pour in about 1/2 cup (120 g) of prepared bath salts. For a stronger concentration, you can add more bath salts. For a therapy bath, consider using 1 to 2 cups (240 to 480 g) of Epsom salts. The high levels of magnesium in the salts can reduce muscle ache. Use your hands to swirl the water in the tub so the salts dissolve. Fine grained bath salts will dissolve faster than coarse grained bath salts. Turn the hot water back on and fill the tub as high as you like. Dip your hands in the water to check the temperature. The water should be as comfortably hot as you can make it. Get into the tub and breathe in the hot steam as you soak. To get the full benefits of the bath salts, try to soak for at least 10 minutes. Continue to soak as long as you like before draining the tub. Ask your doctor about how often you can use bath salts, especially if you have a medical condition. If your bath salts contain oils, use caution when getting out of the tub. The oils may make the bottom of the tub slippery.

Summary: Choose your bath salts. Fill the tub half full and add the bath salts. Swirl the bath salts in the water. Fill the tub with more water. Soak in the tub for at least 10 minutes.

This will allow you to start buying the foodstuffs and drinks that are on sale and aren't perishable. Write it all out on a list, then list the ingredients separately. From the ingredients list, highlight all the foods that can be bought early, such as canned foods, long life foods and dried foods. All of these can be bought well ahead of Christmas, perhaps in November. Make storage space. Check the freezer, pantry and refrigerator for space that can be spared to contain all of the Christmas goodies you're purchasing ahead of time. Stock up well ahead of the rush. Dealing with drinks early is a great way to buy yourself more time when Christmas Day approachesno long lines for you. Store these out of the way in the basement, pantry floor or other area where they won't be disturbed or subject to temperature extremes. Many stores stock up additional amounts of dried fruits, flour, spices, etc. and put sales on early to get the stock moving. Since a cake and pudding are best made a month before Christmas to give them time to cure, start looking for the sales on the ingredients early November. Having these tucked away in the pantry, refrigerator or freezer in readiness for use will take a great weight off your mind. Non-perishables that can be bought ahead include: Nuts and Nibbles Chips, pretzels, and crackers Canned foods Frozen foods, including frozen desserts Candies and candied fruits Ice cream Some root vegetables, pumpkins Gingerbread and other spiced cookies Commercially made Christmas cake, puddings, mince pies Long-life milk, bread wraps, cookies, etc. Order meats, baked items, cakes, desserts, etc. from the relevant providers at the end of November into early December. Get an emailed or texted confirmation of your order and always call ahead a few days prior to pick-up date to check that the order has not been mislaid and is underway. Collect the day before Christmas or Christmas morning, as relevant. Although you still have to shop at Christmas-time, pre-ordering removes the stress of last-minute thinking and ensures that the provider of the goods has the resources and time to service your order. Make things easier by having a family member do all the pick-ups. Provide them with a list and locations for pickups, then send them on their way. This avoids the pre-Christmas day rush that is usually full of all the people who forgot to be organized. If there is anything that must be bought fresh the day before or on the day, add that to the pre-orderseven many supermarkets will take pre-orders for things such as meats and baked goods. Store everything in one part of the refrigerator or use a second one if you have another.

Summary: Know what you're having for the Christmas meal at least a month in advance. Start looking for liquor and soft drink sales at least one month ahead. Purchase the ingredients for the cake and pudding as soon as you see the ingredients go on sale in November. Purchase the non-perishable food items from mid-November through to mid-December. Order food well ahead of time. Buy perishable supermarket foods two days before Christmas.

Encourage your partner to avoid sleeping on their back. This can make snoring worse by putting pressure on your partner's diaphragm. Some have recommended sleeping with something uncomfortable, like a tennis ball, sewn into the back of a shirt. This will make it awkward for your partner to sleep on their back and forces them to sleep in another way. Being overweight is a common cause of snoring. The extra weight affects the lungs and neck, making airflow blocked or strained during sleep. Being overweight is not always a cause of snoring, however, it does increase the probability that snoring will occur. Excess body fat will increase the chances of developing sleep apnea. Changing aspects of a lifestyle, such as losing weight, are usually recommended starting points to stop snoring. Have your partner ask your doctor for more information on how you can best lose weight. Nasal strips are an over-the-counter method of improving airflow through the nose. The nasal strip works by slightly pulling open, and keeping open, the nostrils. The improved airflow will help reduce snoring. Falling asleep with the nasal strip on may be unusual at first. Continued use will help your partner get used to the nasal strip. These strips won't be helpful to anyone suffering from sleep apnea because sleep apnea is caused by collapsed soft tissues in the back of the throat. Alcohol consumption and smoking can affect the throat and respiratory systems. Have your partner reduce the use of either to help prevent snoring from occurring. Alcohol causes the neck and tongue to relax which can obstruct airflow. Never drink alcohol right before sleep as this will make snoring worse. Smoking damages the throat and respiratory system. By reducing the amount your partner smokes, the chances of snoring occurring will also be reduced. Remember that snoring is a symptom of some other issue. Have your partner visit your doctor to determine exactly what the cause of their snoring may be. Examine the following list of possibilities to get an idea of what to expect: Nasal blockages. This may be due to chronic congestion or the configuration of your nasal passages, such as a deviated septum. Untreated allergies. Allergies can produce swelling of tissue in the nose and throat, as well as cause mucus production that can make breathing difficult. Obstructive sleep apnea. Sleep apnea is a potentially serious medical condition that your doctor will want to address. This occurs when your throat tissue blocks your airway and prevents breathing entirely. If other options have not put an end to the snoring, ask your doctor about surgical options. Depending on your partners situation, there are a few different surgeries that may be recommend by your doctor: If your partners palate is the cause of their snoring, their doctor may recommend palatal implants. These are strands of polyester filament that are placed within the soft palate the mouth, which stiffen and prevent snoring. Uvulopalatopharyngoplasty (UPPP) may be recommended if your partner has excess or loose tissue in or around the throat. By removing and tightening this tissue, this cause of snoring is eliminated. Laser and radio/sonic based treatments can also be used to shrink any excessive amounts of tissue in the throat. These are both outpatient procedures and are not as invasive as traditional surgery.
Summary: Have your partner try sleeping on their side or stomach. Lose weight. Try nasal strips. Avoid alcohol and smoking. Visit your doctor. Explore surgical options to end snoring.