Bye Mom, Hello Uni!

It’s that time of year when we help our grown children pack up and leave the family home. University for them, now-idle bedroom converted to a hobby room for us. Life is good. So, what’s on the packing list? There is a packing list, right? If not, you will be shipping multiple packages for months, full of forgotten boots, tennis rackets, special shampoos, or favorite jammies. Bedding. Take a look at your child’s bed and add everything you see to the list. Pillows, sheets, blankets, throw pillows, possibly stuffed animals will all make the list. Plus, an anti-bedbug mattress cover and some sort of feather or foam mattress topper to provide cushioning for what is sure to be a hard mattress. Room stuff. If you know how big the room is and what’s already in it, this part should be easy. Things to consider: seating (chair, beanbag, futon, whatever), lamps, desk, rugs, small table(s), trashcans, storage bins for under the bed and bed risers to make more room for the bins, hangers and storage bins for the closet, large mirror, curtains and rods, wall décor, fridge, fan. Well, that’s a start. Bathroom items. This is the tough one because you’ll need to go into your child’s bathroom in order to fill out the list. Take your child with you — no sense in suffering alone. Starting from one corner of the room, inspect every inch of the space, making your way completely around the room while noting items for the list. Don’t forget essential but non-personal objects such as toilet paper and cotton balls. Medical/Legal necessities. Note all prescription and over-the-counter medicines your child takes, even those taken only occasionally. Plus, list any documents that will need to be in the possession of your grown child. Note: it’s critical that you make copies of all documents you send with your child. When possible, send the copy and keep the original. Think passport, health/car/renters insurance, birth certificate, social security, bank accounts, really all the documents you’ve kept safely filed away, you’ll now have to entrust to your grown child. Odds and ends. There are helpful lists on the internet that mention hundreds of necessary and unnecessary items your child may need to pack for university. It’s a good idea to browse those lists and compare yours for missing items. Some overlooked things we find useful for grown children packing for university are earplugs, duct tape, umbrella, flashlight, deck of cards, small toolkit, and a sleep mask. And finally, help them live life in full motion. Slip a Reliefband® on your young adult’s wrist and explain how to use it. It’s drug-free wearable tech that treats the nausea, retching, and vomiting associated with VR-related motion sickness. He or she will be prepared for the next epic all-day battle in Raw Data or Chronos, right after he/she aces the tests for the week. If they are wearing a Reliefband®, they won’t need mom or dad there to treat the nasty symptoms of motion sickness caused by VR, or those caused by riding in cars/planes/boats. That’s a good thing . . . right? Sniff.

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Europe In Summer

Europe calls to Americans — maybe it’s the history, or perhaps the romance. Whatever it is, its pull is nearly irresistible. Those of us who suffer from motion sickness find the pull isn’t as strong given the nausea, retching, and vomiting we experience when traveling by car, plane, train, boat or even, on a bad day, an elevator. However, it’s summer and time to get our vacay on! Don’t let motion sickness ruin your day (or your vacay); instead, start living your life. With Reliefband® on the wrist, you control those nasty symptoms, and you’ll find travel isn’t the nausea-inducing torture it used to be. If you’re ready to plan your visit, we have a few favorite spots to share. Majorca is a Spanish island drenched in ancient ruins, mountains, and beach resorts. It is a land to suit nearly every preference. Pack lots of sunscreen and relax. Corfu provides a bit of the touristy beach vibe, but primarily, it’s an island that introduces you to the slow pace of life in Greece. If you want to immerse yourself in the Greek culture, this is the perfect spot. Scotland, the land of lochs, moors, kilt-wearing men, castles, golf courses, bagpipes, and cities and landscapes so beautiful, it melts the heart. No one ever regrets a trip to Scotland. Really, there are a thousand spots around Europe that would delight anyone looking for a place to land for a week or two. The point is to get out there and enjoy life. Don’t let the misery of motion sickness stop you from trying new things. Live your life in full motion!

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Gone Fishing

Fishing. It’s simple for some people. Hop in a boat and head toward open water. It’s not so simple for those who suffer from seasickness. Going on a boat can bring on feelings of  nausea, retching, and even vomiting. Guess what? Reliefband® treats those nasty symptoms. That’s right, you no longer need to be the one left on the dock. It’s time to join your friends and do more than just cut bait. Now that you have the seasickness sorted, you need to do a few other things before you start hauling in fish. In addition to your Reliefband® and the actual gear (rod, reel, etc.) needed to catch the fish, you’ll want a life jacket, sunscreen, food, potable water, a cooler with ice in it to pack out the fish you catch, a first aid kit, bug spray, sunglasses, and don’t forget to zip your keys into a pocket or clip them to your belt loop. Nothing is as sad as a loaded key ring drifting out of sight beneath the water. If you’re fishing on the boat, you may need to have a license, if legally required. These days, you can usually order one online. Be aware that, depending on what type of fish you’re going after, you may need more than one license or permit. One other thing—anything you want to keep dry should be placed in a waterproof bag. Soggy sandwiches and runny maps are funny only when they happen to the other guy. Do you have tips for prepping for a fishing trip? Please share them in the comments for everyone to read. Have fun out there!

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5 VR Games You’ll Want

It’s still early days for many VR offerings. Developers aren’t sure if the money is there for a time- and talent-intensive effort, but we say, bring it! VR is fun, and if VR-related nausea creeps in, well, that’s what Reliefband® is for. Slip it on your wrist and play on. So, what’s looking good in the game world? These are a few that caught our attention: Minecraft VR is here. Instead of staring at the screen with your roommate or little sister doing annoying things in your peripheral vision, you’re in the middle of the Minecraft world. Caves beckon, mobs advance, it’s all glorious. Hover Junkers is a wild free-for-all in wastelands that you’ll love. Lots of movement in playing this game, and ships that are steampunk beauties. Loads of fun! Sportsbar VR lets you play pool, darts, chess, air hockey – lots of pub games. And you can compete against AI or your friends anywhere in the world. It’s the perfect way to chill out and you don’t have to leave your house. Dear Esther slows it down a bit. It’s not a game where you do battle with guns blazing. It’s a visually stunning ghost story with you on a Scottish island and a lurking mystery to solve. Or not. Assetto Corsa is a racing game that is popular primarily because it is easily modified and customized. Reliefband wearable device provides fast control of nausea, retching, and vomiting associated with the motion sickness associated with VR.

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Crazy Carnival Rides

Nausea, cold sweat, even retching and vomiting—they’re all symptoms of motion sickness and they can pop up at inconvenient times, right? For those of us who live with motion sickness, we know what to expect in the car or on a boat, or in an airplane. But what about . . . at the carnival? The teacup ride that little kids love—oof. The base of the ride goes around in a big circle, and each teacup on the base revolves independently. There’s a little wheel in the middle of each teacup that controls the spin of that cup. All it takes is one gleeful kid who’s determined to yank that wheel ‘round and ‘round, and there goes lunch! At the Stratosphere in Las Vegas, guests can pay to be strapped into a giant teeter-totter and thrown 27 feet over the edge of the casino, left to dangle face-down 866 feet above the Strip. A Devil’s Wheel looks simple enough. It’s a flat, slightly raised circular floor so many feet in diameter. Riders sit in the middle of the floor, which then spins faster and faster until they’re all tossed off, landing we’re not sure where but hopefully on a soft surface. Some people won’t hop on the rides because they’re scary as all get-out. That’s really the only reason one needs. And then there are those who love the thrill but end up puking because of, yep, motion sickness. We can’t stop the scary. It is what it is. But, Reliefband® helps control the nausea, retching, and vomiting associated with motion sickness. If you want to dangle over the Las Vegas Strip from atop a very tall casino, at least wear a Reliefband® on your wrist!

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Star Wars Day

“May the 4th be with you” is THE pun from Star Wars’ heyday. Granted, it’s an oldie, given that the original Star Wars debuted in 1977, but who cares? It’s Star Wars, for crying out loud. We love it because sci-fi is where you’ll find the dreams of tech that are now or will one day be our reality. There are 3D printing machines that can produce chocolate sculptures or body parts. Talk about the wow factor. They’re even available for home use. One touch on our smartphone screen, and we can see and talk to Uncle Tony who lives on the other side of the world. We call it FaceTime. Stormtroopers ride hoverbikes. This year a hoverbike is coming to market (please, Santa, pleeeeease). Robot maids — yep, they exist. OK, they’re not fast and in every home yet, but we’ll get there. We’re on Mars. Well, the Curiosity Rover is, and we’re planning an in-person visit. Exploring the galaxy! We live in a world of burgeoning technology. It’s flat-out exciting. In our part of the wearable tech industry, you can now slip on a Reliefband® and quickly control symptoms of nausea, retching, and vomiting associated with motion sickness, morning sickness, or even VR-related motion sickness. Hey, that’s another tech advancement — VR! Just slip on a headset and be transported to any world, any place. Kind of like a holodeck. Yes, that’s Star Trek, but it’s still cool.

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Tulip Time – Road Trip!

If you’re a tulip lover, this is your time of year. Tulips are showing off all over the country, and that says “road trip” to us.   Americans have always been in love with cars and winding roads, particularly when the weather is fine. We found tulip festivals dotted around the country—hope there’s one near you. If you live around New York, Albany hosts a Mother’s Day weekend full of tulips. This year is the 69th annual event, and they even have a Tulip Ball if you’re so inclined. Pella, Iowa, transforms into the Netherlands for their 82nd annual Tulip Time Festival, beating out Albany by more than a decade. For three days, you can clomp around in wooden shoes, eat Dutch treats, and party like it’s 1894. In Lehi, Utah, the fields are covered with hundreds of thousands of tulips. Once you’re “tuliped out” you can run a half marathon, go to a swing dance, listen to the Lyceum Philharmonic, and gorge on food, food, food. The tulip festival in Skagit Valley, Washington, isn’t in one patch. It’s spread out over miles and miles, and the field locations change every year. Think of it as a festival/scavenger hunt. Wherever you’re headed this year, pack snacks and liquids, and wear sturdy shoes for hiking over and around acres of tulips. Oh, and if you hear “road trip” and think “carsick,” we have you covered. Slip Reliefband® on your wrist and turn it on, then forget about the nausea, retching, and vomiting of motion sickness. We take care of that for you, without drugs and without delay!

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VR – Not Just For Games

Virtual Reality (VR) is tops with gamers, but it’s also used in ways unimagined just a few short years ago. VR simulations in the military enhance the training one goes through to become a medic or a pilot, a tank driver or even a combatant. Businesses use VR simulations to improve skillsets such as machine operation, sales, or understanding and use of a product. Teachers find the world of Virtual Reality to be a boon to the translation of concepts, and it’s just a fun way to learn. Who doesn’t want to interact with whales during fifth period? But, VR-related nausea can put the kibosh on the excitement and benefit of experiencing the world through Virtual Reality. Reliefband® offers a quick, natural way to treat the symptoms of nausea, retching, and vomiting sometimes associated with motion sickness from playing or training in the virtual world. So go, have fun in VR—jump out of airplanes, swim with turtles, or float in space. Do it all and bonus, no puking!

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Say Yes To Travel, No To Motion Sickness

Traveling adds depth and perspective to our lives. Saying yes to travel opportunities is fun! But motion sickness, the kind some of us experience when we fly, or ride in a car or boat, can be enough to stop us from going across town—forget about going across the country (or the world). The answer is simple: Reliefband®. Worn on the wrist, it’s a fast, drug-free way to treat the nasty symptoms of nausea, retching, and vomiting that keep us from living life as we’d like. Once our motion sickness is under control, the world is ours to explore. Following is a bucket list of destinations we’ve started for 2017. We invite you to add to it in the comments. Mont St.-Michel is an old abbey off of the coast of Normandy, France. When the tide comes in, it’s an island surrounded by water, seeming to float on the sea. Once the tide is out, you can make your way there and walk the paths of monks. Next winter, we hope to sleep on ice at the ICEHOTEL in Sweden. It’s a work of art, rebuilt every year in a few short weeks. However, we hear they’re going to attempt to keep it open year-round, with the help of solar panels to keep it cool. Either way, we can’t wait. The Ithaa Undersea Restaurant in the Maldives is stunning. You dine under a glass dome surrounded by, yes, the sea. Stingrays and other creatures of the deep are your companions for a pricey but once-in-a-lifetime meal. Whitehaven Beach in Australia is blindingly white. Hence the name. They say it’s 89% silica, which accounts for its color. We don’t know if that’s true, but who doesn’t want to walk on such soft, white sand? The Arashiyama Bamboo Grove in Japan is a magical place in which to stroll. The sound of the wind making its way through the bamboo is unique and not to be missed. Well, this is our bucket list so far. What’s on your list? Remember, this is the year to change your life. Treat the symptoms of motion sickness, and go! Hope to see you out there.

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