10 Things Not to Miss at WonderWorks Myrtle Beach

As the summer temperatures heat up, many families will be looking for ways to keep cool. They will also want to entertain, make memories and keep their kids active. One good way to do that is to visit WonderWorks Myrtle Beach, where parents can find four levels of indoor nonstop fun, offering plenty of opportunities for people of all ages.

“Most people are familiar with the outside of our building, but they are not familiar with what goes on inside it,” says Robert Stinnett, regional manager at WonderWorks. “The neat thing is that what we offer on the inside is every bit as interesting and unique. We are here for all ages to experience laughter, fun, and joy by diving into history, science and releasing energy with our interactive exhibits!”

Here are 10 things not to miss at WonderWorks Myrtle Beach:

1. Climb. Hit up the ropes course, where guests can test their endurance and locomotor skills as they climb over 28 different obstacles and physical activities in this 3-story indoor course.
2. Throw. Take your chance at virtual sports, where you can find out what it’s like to pitch to a Major League Baseball player or throw a touchdown pass 50 yards to an NFL player. Virtual Sports allows you to test your athletic skills on a baseball, football, and soccer field.
3. Ride. Take a seat within the virtual coaster with the ability to turn 360° in every direction. Hold on to your seats, while experiencing virtual physics! You can also feel the sensation of weightlessness like in outer space on the Astronaut Training Gyro Challenge.
4. Play. Hit up the sandbox and bubble lab! Explore the depths of the ocean, a Jurassic landscape, and a wildlife safari in an interactive sandbox. Interact with various creatures with your hands and mold the sand by building mountains, volcanoes and much more! You can also create bubbles the size of basketballs, and even make a bubble big enough for you to fit inside.
5. Learn. Test your knowledge about our world’s natural disasters. Show what you know and more from such categories as wild weather, quakes and blazes, manmade catastrophes and extreme disasters.
6. Imagine. Enter a new dimension of reality and explore the unknown. Visit the Dr. Seuss Taxidermy, where the famous author’s creations come to life. Discover how perception and perspective are used in over 35 exhibits located throughout the Far Out Art Gallery where the unexplainable will come to life and the unusual will be the norm. 
7. Thrill. Enjoy the 12-seat theater that takes guests on an amazing adventure that transcends times, space, and imagination by combining the 3D film with special effects and full motion. Now playing 5 different movies: Cosmic Coaster-Mild, Wild Wild West- Moderate, Great Wall of China-Moderate, Dino Safari- Wild or Canyon Coaster-Wild.
8. Adrenaline. Take the zipline challenge, where you will soar 50 feet above water and 1,000 feet between towers. This features a constant tension system, which ensures participants a smooth “zip” with intense fun.
9. Extreme. Check out 360 Bikes, where you will buckle into your bike and start pedaling. You will try to generate enough power to spin a complete 360-degree revolution right back to where you started.
10. Interact. Get interactive with laser tag! This family fun game combines innovative technology to provide you with a one-of-a-kind interactive experience. The object is to outplay, outlast and outshoot the other players.

“WonderWorks is happy to support energy in motion – we want our guests to feel like each time they come to us, not only are they having a blast, they are using their mind to learn and interact physically with our many hands-on exhibits,” added Stinnett. “Make some fun family memories right here at WonderWorks Myrtle Beach.”

WonderWorks in Myrtle Beach offers 50,000 square feet of “edu-tainment” opportunities, showcasing itself as an amusement park for the mind. They offer over 100 hands-on exhibits covering natural disasters, space discovery, an imagination lab, a physical challenge zone, a far out art gallery, and a light and sound zone. WonderWorks is open daily from 10 a.m. until 11:30 p.m. For more information, log onto its site: https://www.wonderworksonline.com/myrtle-beach/.

Exploring Your Potential Reverse Mortgage Candidacy

Retiring is not always fun. It can be stressful when you have worries about your income. However, if you own your own home, you may have an easy way to increase that income, at least temporarily. It is called a reverse mortgage. It is a non-traditional home loan designed solely to help retirees or people of retirement age stay in their homes while having money to spend in their golden years. Here is what you need to know about reverse mortgages and how to determine your candidacy for them.

You Must Meet Basic Reverse Mortgage Requirements

There are some basic requirements for getting a reverse mortgage. The biggest is that you must be retired or at the age of retirement. That minimum age is 62. The reason for that requirement is a reverse mortgage is a specific type of mortgage designed to allow retirement comfort without the hassles associated with traditional home loans. Reverse mortgage lenders do not offer reverse mortgages to younger homeowners.

Another requirement is you must own and live in the home. You cannot apply for a mortgage on a building you own while residing elsewhere. That means vacation homes are ineligible for reverse mortgage assistance. If you do own your own home, you must also prove your ability to continue to maintain it, such as by making tax payments. That is because you still own the home throughout the reverse mortgage process.

Your Home Must Have Enough Value to Get a Reverse Mortgage

Another issue affecting your reverse mortgage candidacy is you must own a home with enough value for the loan to work. A reverse mortgage does not allow you to access your full home equity.

A calculator for reverse mortgages determines the portion available to you. The tool is necessary because there are federal restrictions in place governing reverse mortgages. The calculation tool can also help you simplify the process of figuring out the total value of your home. That process involves assessing factors such as its age, size and geographic location of the structure.

You Need to be Prepared to Pay Reverse Mortgage Fees and Interest

A good assessment doesn't guarantee a reverse mortgage is right for you. The amount the reverse mortgage calculator authorizes you to borrow is not the amount you must pay back. You need to understand there are closing costs and fees to be paid. Those are deducted up front before any money is issued to you. More importantly, your reverse mortgage will also accumulate long-term interest. With each passing year, you will owe more back than when you started. Therefore, you must consider your ability to pay the interest back when deciding whether to sign the initial loan agreement.

You Cannot Maintain Two Mortgages at Once

Another thing you need to know before you get a reverse mortgage is you can get one while you have a traditional mortgage. However, you cannot maintain both for a long period. Shortly after signing a reverse mortgage agreement, funds must be removed from the total you are allowed to borrow. Those funds are used to pay off the traditional loan right away. The remaining funds are available to you to make your retirement more financially comfortable.

If the amount you can borrow and the amount needed to pay off the first loan are similar, you may not want a reverse mortgage. The best scenario is using the reverse mortgage to pay the first loan and still have enough left over to spend for other purposes. That can allow you to get out from under your ongoing mortgage bills and get some actual financial relief.

Best Summer Activities For Kid's Growth & Development

Summer is known as that lazy, relaxing time of year. While all kids deserve a break, they still need structure and stimulating activities that nurture their growth and development. Do you need some tips to keep in mind when it comes to your kids this summer?

Vinay Saranga M.D. is a child psychiatrist and founder of Saranga Comprehensive Psychiatry (www.srangapsychiatrycom) and offers this advice:

Create A Summer Schedule: You don’t have to schedule something for every second of the day. The idea is to develop a predictable but flexible daily schedule that can help children thrive. Remember, sometimes boredom can be a trigger for bad behavior. The idea is to still have a routine and agenda, but know that it’s okay to be a little laid back when it comes to sticking to it.

Create A Calendar: Make it visible to your entire family. Write down daily activities and include a chore/activity chart. This helps children understand what’s expected of them. It also helps enrich their sense of responsibility and integrity all while building their confidence.

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Don’t Skip Reading: Reading should be part of their everyday routine this summer. Whether in the morning or before bed (or both), make it a priority to read with your kids. Of course, the goal of reading is to make it enjoyed. Get your child involved by going to a local library and scouting out the latest book by their favorite author.

Sleep Is Still Essential: Sleep, especially at a young age, is essential for healthy growth and brain development. We all benefit from a good night’s rest! Even if you extend bedtime during the summer, make sure your child is getting the recommended amount of sleep each night. Try not to get too far off of their school routine because it will be back in session before you know it!

Cut Back On Screen Time: Sometimes it’s too easy just to turn on the TV. When they’re not swimming or riding bikes, find something productive for them to do. Stock up on fun and educational activities that will help your kids continue to grow and learn over the summer break. Coloring books, crosswords, puzzles, and board games are all great ideas.

Some Downtime Is Good: Remember that long days at the pool/beach can cause exhaustion which leads to frustration and overwhelm. Figure out what the right amount of activity is to stimulate your child and incorporate enjoyable activities into their summer routine.

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Keep them social: Summer camps, group play and trips to the local playground are all ways to entertain children without screen time. Social settings often encourage imaginary play and creativity all while developing social skills that are essential for a child’s development.

Incorporate nature: Let nature be your inspiration this summer! Get your children outdoors for some fresh air. Plan a game of hide-and-seek or set up a nature scavenger hunt that will keep them entertained in a healthy way.

Make time for family: Our kids grow up so quickly, so make time to enjoy the summer as a family no matter how old your kids are. Whether planning a vacation out of state or simply a day trip to the beach, the best activities are enjoyed together.

First Trimester Pregnancy – The Dual Marker Test, Ultrasounds and Blood Screening

Maternal health during pregnancy is vital to the health of the baby, and there seems to be an endless sea of tests to be undertaken during any pregnancy. If you are an older mother, particularly a first time mother over the age of 35, have any pre-existing health concerns, or have any known health or genetic issues that run in the family, you will likely find that you get poked and prodded by expert maternity healthcare specialists more often that you could ever have imagined.  

There are regular urine tests looking for protein markers and signs of the ever common urinary tract infection, blood tests that monitor your iron levels, the hideous glucose test that generally induces nausea, takes hours, but can tell if you are going to be at risk of developing gestational diabetes, and there is also the double marker test in pregnancy which can alert you early on to whether you run the risk of having a baby with serious chromosomal abnormalities – if you get the right dual marker test you can also be screened for pre-eclampsia.

First Trimester Testing

Generally, the very first test a pregnant woman undertakes is her pregnancy test, but once that comes back positive there is a barrage of tests – all to ensure the health of both mother and baby.

Ultrasound Scans and Testing

In the first trimester (from the first day of your last period through to 12 weeks after this), you will normally have a ‘dating’ scan. This is an ultrasound to confirm how pregnant you are and to give you an estimated delivery date.  This will also tell you how many babies you have growing in your uterus and confirm the position of the baby and placenta. This is not done before 6 weeks, as the fetus is too small to see. https://www.healthnavigator.org.nz/health-a-z/u/ultrasound-pregnancy/

From around 11 weeks you will be able to have a Nuchal Translucency scan (often the two scans done at the same time, but you can have a dating scan earlier). In this scan, the sonographer will measure the fluid-filled space at the back of the baby’s neck, although they will not usually interpret the results for you. The nuchal translucency scan is done as a way of checking the likelihood of the baby having a chromosomal abnormality. These can range from a more common Down syndrome which has a high survival rate, to trisomy 13 or 18 which has a very high mortality rate (and will often be an indicator for likely miscarriage).

You won’t be able to find out the sex of your baby until an anatomy scan in your second trimester (normally after 18 weeks). This will also be able to tell you, and your doctor, if there are any concerns about the way the baby’s organs and body are developing. Because this is technically about the baby’s anatomy, you may need to specifically ask your sonographer to check what the sex is (although it is not at all uncommon for baby’s to position themselves in a way that hides their genitals, denying parents an early indicator).  

An ultrasound is considered to be non-evasive (you have hopefully warm, gel placed on your belly, and the wand is run over your belly creating an x-ray like image from ultrasound waves bouncing back to the wand), and there have been no known negative effects on baby or mother, however it is still should not be used by anyone untrained, and having more than needed is not recommended.

Blood Testing

You are unlikely to need to confirm your pregnancy with a blood test, but this can be done as part of your routine first trimester blood workup. However, your first routine blood test will confirm your blood type and Rh factor. This is important because if your blood type is Rh negative and the father of the baby has an Rh-positive blood type, your body may develop a condition in this pregnancy or future pregnancies where the mother's body sees the baby as a foreign body to be fought off (see here for more information).

You will also be tested for anemia, as low red blood count is not uncommon in pregnancy, and amongst the serious health concerns can also increase first trimester fatigue and nausea symptoms. A standard blood test will also scan for hepatitis B, syphilis and HIV, as these are all transferable to the baby.

Another testing you may consider can include your immunity to rubella and chickenpox, cystic fibrosis, thyroid conditions, fragile X syndrome, hepatitis C, and a range of other conditions. However, most people will only include these for testing if there is a confirmed risk through exposure or family history.

Dual Marker Testing

This is technically a blood test, however, the results of the double market test (or double marker + PLGF) will often be used in conjunction with the first trimester ultrasound where the mother gets her Nuchal Translucency scan to make any recommendations.

The Dual marker test is looking for the presence and levels of the hormones Beta Human Chorionic Gonadotropin (Beta hCG) and Pregnancy Associated Plasma Protein (PAPP-A) in the mother's blood (research is available here).

If the results of these test indicate that there is a high risk of the baby having a chromosomal abnormality then the mother can weigh up the risks of getting a diagnostic test. Normally these are either the amniocentesis or chorionic villus sampling, both of which are more invasive than the blood test and to create a level of risk to the baby and the pregnancy.

Additional testing that includes detection of the PLGS is helpful in detecting the risk of pre-eclampsia in the first trimester.  Although there is no cure for pre-eclampsia, early detection can mean that healthcare professionals can assess the risk levels and provide a cause of action that can help keep both mother and baby as safe as possible throughout the pregnancy. This may be as simple as recommending that you sleep only on your left side, or may require medication, bedrest or even hospitalization.

What’s more, additional testing can help doctors detect other health issues in the expecting mother, such as vaginal infections, which can significantly up the risk of serious disability like cerebral palsy in the developing baby. Just like pre-eclampsia, cerebral palsy doesn’t have an official cure, but careful monitoring of the mother and the right medical help during pregnancy can significantly reduce the risk in the child.

Non-Maternity Clothes for Pregnancy

You’ve found out that you are pregnant, and you can’t wait to show off your belly proudly. But, what to do when most of your clothes don’t fit anymore, and you wanted to wear them so much? Fashion for pregnant women has become very extensive, and that is the reason why it costs so much. However, there are some smart hacks you can use to be able to wear non-maternity clothes during pregnancy.

Pants for a casual day outfit

Your old jeans will probably become too tight and you won’t be able to wear them over your belly because they have zips and buttons. What you can wear are wide leg pants. They are super cozy, and will definitely be comfortable for your belly. You can wear them as a casual day outfit, or even as a work outfit if you are still working during some months of your pregnancy. When choosing high-waisted pants, make sure they go above your belly, so that you can wear shirts tucked in. If you choose low-rise pants, then opt for a loose shirt.

Another good idea of incorporating pants into your maternity clothes is to wear suspender jeans. In recent years they are no longer considered exclusively maternity clothes, and everyone wears them. You can use the trend of loose, mom jeans and wear them with a simple white shirt and white sneakers. You will look cute, while still being comfortable. You can even wear the jeans you already have, and if they don’t fit anymore, do a simple sewing repair and add a few inches of material on the sides.

Leggings for when you have errands to run 

The most comfortable item you can wear during pregnancy are leggings. They don't have to be a fitness outfit; instead, you can wear them when you have a doctor's appointment or some other errands to run. Today, numerous designs are available, so you don’t have to wear classic fitness ones. Basic, mono-colored and a simple loose T-shirt is all that you need. The good thing about leggings is that they can expand as your belly grows, so maybe you can even use the ones that you already have. Some casual day time leggings you can even wear with a tunic which goes down to your knees. Another interesting option to try is jeans leggings that you can style like any other regular jeans.

Dresses as formal wear during pregnancy

A lot of the times, you have a special occasion you need to attend during pregnancy. Whether it is an engagement, birthday, or a wedding, here are some tips on what to wear. There is no point, of course, in hiding your belly, which is why it is a good idea to do the exact opposite. Bodycon dresses made from a cotton-spandex blend or polyester are a perfect choice. For a wedding, you can wear a long bodycon dress that goes below your knees. You will look elegant, trendy and also be able to move since the material is stretchy.

A good idea to wear non-maternity clothes for pregnancy is to get empire waist dresses, either maxi or midi. They will not feel tight on your belly, instead, they will allow a lot of movement. If you have trouble finding the right style or you need ideas, great online clothes shops offer many cute designs, especially floral for summer. You can also choose a design to fit your style and order it online for those days when you don’t feel like going out. Straps or ruffles, just pick according to the occasion and you will look stunning.

Since maternity clothing can be quite expensive, look into some other options of wearing your regular clothes during pregnancy. Hopefully, these tips will give you an idea of what you can wear for different occasions so that you don't have to give up your favorite items of clothing.