Happy Halloween!

All That Glitters is Sometimes Gold, Lipstick and Ultramarine!

The original Nicole Top in the Koi Comfort line gets a little sparkle trim in Lipstick for this holiday season!
The super comfy rib-trim top pairs with the sparkle in the limited edition Audrina long-sleeve tee in black with colored foil stars and circles (in Gold, Lipstick or Ultramarine).
Fun and festive, these are perfect for the holiday season!
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Infinity Certainty Antimicrobial Sold Scrubs

We have expanded our Certainty Antimicrobial scrub line by Infinity!  We brought in the new 1124A Slim Fit, Low Rise pant in black, and the 2625A Mock Wrap top in Teal (also in black). 
Features 4-way stretch fabric, wicking and anti-static properties, wrinkle-free for easy care, and coverstitch detail for an athletic feel, plus CERTAINTY® specifically inhibits the growth of bacteria, yeast and algae, minimizing odors and stains due to bacteria. 
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New Leg Bag in Stock!

This Hollister leg bag features quality materials that result in soft, comfortable, durable bags and pleated sides increases the volume but not the length. Protects skin from pressure points by placing leg strap connectors and drain valve away from direct contact with leg. Latex free. 10" length, holds 19oz.
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How to Winterize Your Health

Now that temperatures have dropped and we are bundling up as we leave in the morning, it's important to remember cold and flu season is here.  Young children and senior citizens are particularly vulnerable to the spread of colds, viral and bacterial infections.  But, there are steps we can all take to stay healthy throughout the winter season.

Wash Your Hands Frequently
Proper and frequent hand washing is an effective way to avoid spreading germs.  Just 15 to 20 seconds of hand washing (or enough time to sing Happy Birthday), using water and soap can reduce the rist of transmitting germs and diseases. According to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), hand washing is the single most important means of preventing infection from spreading.  If you don't have access to a sink, hand sanitizer is another good option.
Vaccinations
Vaccines not only protect vulnerable young children and older adults, but others who need protection due to immunity disorders or other illnesses.  Make sure children are up to date on all of their vaccinations, and seniors are up to date on boosters and vaccinations that prevent illnesses such as shingles and pneumonia.
Sick?  Stay home
If you have a fever, bad cough, or are vomiting or have diarrhea, make sure to stay home.  Not only does staying home provide needed rest for recovery and help prevent the spread of illness and disease to others, but when a person has one illness, they are predisposed to getting another.  Staying home prevents “back to back” illness.

Get a Flu Shot

Along with regular vaccinations, the flu shot is a good way to reduce your risk of catching the flu, or worse, developing more serious complications from the flu.  The flu vaccination is recommended for all people 6 months and older.  A nasal spray is also available, instead of a shot.  Contact your doctor or county health department for a list of places where the vaccine is available near you.  Depending on your age, some places offer low cost or no cost flu shots to senior citizens.

Get Enough Sleep

Children and senior adults especially need enough sleep.  Children need about 8-10 hours of sleep, and seniors need about 7-9 hours of sleep so they have enough energy to fight off infection.  Try to keep a nighttime schedule and routine to remain well-rested. 

Physical Activity

Even when it’s cold outside, it’s important to find ways to exercise and stay healthy.  At least 30 minutes of exercise a day can boost your immune system, help you live longer and maintain an active life.  Simple moves can be done indoors at home.  For example, jumping jacks (or stepping jacks), running in place (or stepping in place), dancing, and of course home exercise videos and games such as Nintendo Wii can get your heart pumping.

Scrub Tops for the Kids... at Heart!

These cute and fun Tooniform prints feature Olaf from Frozen and Baloo and Mowgli from The Jungle Book. 
Also features V-neck, stretchy side panels in contrast knit, a neckband, sleeves and center back panel are all done in a contrast solid fabric.
Center back length is 25 1/2".
Made of 100% cotton. 
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New Unisex Alexis Shoe is Slip Resistant

Unisex Alexis Shoe! This new innovative clog by Anywear, is made with lightweight DBL material that contours the foot. Gel insole with cup and arch support doubles the comfort and helps to reduce heel impact.  Slip resistant.
In stock now, come in and try on a pair today!

New Infinity Certainty Antimicrobial Print Tops

We brought in 2 new print Certainty Antimicrobial scrub tops by Infinity! Upper left 2628A in Not Heart to Find, and lower right 2629A in Chevron Floral. Features 4-way stretch fabric, wicking and anti-static properties, wrinkle-free for easy care, and coverstitch detail for an athletic feel, plus CERTAINTY® specifically inhibits the growth of bacteria, yeast and algae, minimizing odors and stains due to bacteria.
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Bag Balm Now In Stock

This salve was created to soften cow udders but has a whole slew of applications for humans too!
Made of 8-Hydroxy Quinoline Sulfate 0.3% (antiseptic) in a Petrolatum Lanolin Base.
For rough hands, chafing, cuticles, dry cracked skin, psoriasis, dry facial skin, burns, zits, diaper rash, saddle sores, sunburn, pruned trees, bedsores and more.
8oz square tin with lid.
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Chic New Lab Coat is Antimicrobial

This chic new lab coat features a tailored fit with back princess seams, concealed button front placket, pointed shirt collar, button cuff sleeves that roll up with button tabs, front welt pockets and hi-low shirt-tail hem. Center back length is 40".  Features 4-way stretch fabric, wicking and anti-static properties, wrinkle-free for easy care, and coverstitch detail for an athletic feel, plus CERTAINTY® specifically inhibits the growth of bacteria, yeast and algae, minimizing odors and stains due to bacteria. 
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New! Flipp'ng Walker Tray

This walker tray can be flipped out of the way when not in use!  Carries up to 5 pounds, can be used with a standard 2-bottom or a single bar paddle walker, has dishwasher safe removable cover, can be used with or without cover insert, measures 21.125" x 16" x 1", molded plastic with cup holder.
Gray with a Clear Top ONLY Color currently available.
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Our Halloween Scrubs are Spook-Tacular!

Hurry! These Halloween scrubs and tops are sure to go fast! 
Clockwise from top left:
LUCH42700C in Halloween Haunt
LUKO115PR in Magic Potions
LUCH83727C in Hidden Hallow
LUCH4882 Bat Burnout long sleeve tee's in Black or Pumpkin
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Our Price:  $18.99 & Up

Better Living Corner: Dry Nasal Passages in Winter

"During the colder months, my nose passages get dry. Can you help?"
AYR Saline Nasal gel with soothing aloe helps you breathe better!  This long lasting topical gel soothes dry, stuffy, sore and tender noses.  Helps with dry noses from colds, CPAP, allergies, chronic sinusitis, mouth breathing, flying, winter dryness, low humidity, oxygen therapy and nosebleeds.
0.5oz tube.
Click to shop MI2547 

New Arrivals for Fall

It's the changing of the season and that means
NEW ARRIVALS here at Laurel Uniforms & Apparel!
From the left:
LUCH20944 in Laser Love, HeartSoul Shine On Collection
LUCH2988C in Out of the Bloom, Cherokee Flexibles
LUCH3678 in Fantastically Floral, Cherokee Runway
LUKO298PR in Sweethearts, Koi Susan
LUCH42700C in Dots for Sure, Cherokee Print
LUCH3652 in Hello Poppy, Cherokee Runway
And these are just a few of our New Arrivals! 
Click to shop now!

13 Halloween Supersitions & Traditions Explained

Dating back about 2,000 years, Halloween marked the Celtic New Year and was originally called Samhain, which translates to "summer's end" in Gaelic.  Halloween is relatively new to America, having only become popular in the early 1900s.  The various trademarks now a part of Halloween in America have been both carried throughout the centuries, while others are more modern traditions.  Read on to find out the meaning behind 13 spooky Halloween staples, including spiders, witches and trick-or-treating. 

#1 BLACK CATS

Often used as symbols of bad luck, black cats grace many Halloween decorations. The black cat's bad reputation dates back to the Dark Ages, when witch hunts were commonplace. Elderly, solitary women were often accused of witchcraft, and their pet cats were said to be their "familiars," or demonic animals that had been given to them by the devil.

Another medieval myth told that Satan turned himself into a cat when socializing with witches. But nowadays, black cats aren't synonymous with bad luck and mischief everywhere — in Ireland, Scotland and England, it's considered good luck for a black cat to cross your path. 

#2 JACK-O-LANTERNS

A fun fall activity, carving Jack-o'-lanterns actually has its roots in a sinister, tragic fable. Celtic folklore tells the tale of a drunken farmer named Jack who tricked the devil, but his trickery resulted in him being turned away from both the gates of heaven and hell after he died. Having no choice but to wander around the darkness of purgatory, Jack made a lantern from a turnip and a burning lump of coal that the devil had tossed him from hell.  Jack, the story goes, used the lantern to guide his lost soul; as such, the Celts believed that placing Jack-o'-lanterns outside would help guide lost spirits home when they wander the streets on Halloween. Originally made using a hollowed-out turnip with a small candle inside, Jack-o'-lanterns' frightening carved faces also served to scare evil spirits away. When the Irish potato famine of 1846 forced Irish families to flee to North America, the tradition came with them. Since turnips were hard to come by in the states at the time, pumpkins were used as a substitute.

#3 BATS

Medieval folklore also described bats as witches' familiars, and seeing a bat on Halloween was considered to be quite an ominous sign. One myth was that if a bat was spotted flying around one's house three times, it meant that someone in that house would soon die. Another myth was that if a bat flew into your house on Halloween, it was a sign that your house was haunted because ghosts had let the bat in. 

#4 SPIDERS

A common source of fear, spiders make for creepy, crawly Halloween staples. They join the ranks of bats and black cats in folklore as being evil companions of witches during medieval times. One superstition held that if a spider falls into a candle-lit lamp and is consumed by the flame, witches are nearby. And if you spot a spider on Halloween, goes another superstition, it means that the spirit of a deceased loved one is watching over you. 

#5 WITCHES

The stereotypical image of the haggard witch with a pointy black hat and warty nose stirring a magical potion in her cauldron actually stems from a pagan goddess known as "the crone," who was honored during Samhain. The crone was also known as "the old one" and the "Earth mother," who symbolized wisdom, change, and the turning of the seasons. Today, the kind, all-knowing old crone has morphed into the menacing, cackling witch. 

#6 CAULDRONS

The pagan Celts believed that after death, all souls went into the crone's cauldron, which symbolized the Earth mother's womb. There, the souls awaited reincarnation, as the goddess' stirring allowed for new souls to enter the cauldron and old souls to be reborn. That image of the cauldron of life has now been replaced by the steaming, bubbling, ominous brew. 

#7 WITCH’S BROOMSTICK

The witch's broomstick is another superstition that has its roots in medieval myths. The elderly, introverted women that were accused of witchcraft were often poor and could not afford horses, so they navigated through the woods on foot with the help of walking sticks, which were sometimes substituted by brooms.

English folklore tells that during night-time ceremonies, witches rubbed a "flying" potion on their bodies, closed their eyes and felt as though they were flying. The hallucinogenic ointment, which caused numbness, rapid heartbeat and confusion, gave them the illusion that they were soaring through the sky. 

#8 TRICK-OR-TREATING IN COSTUMES

In olden times, it was believed that during Samhain, the veil between our world and the spirit world was thinnest, and that the ghosts of the deceased could mingle with the living. The superstition was that the visiting ghosts could disguise themselves in human form, such as a beggar, and knock on your door during Samhain asking for money or food. If you turned them away empty-handed, you risked receiving the wrath of the spirit and being cursed or haunted.

Another Celtic myth was that dressing up as a ghoul would fool the evil spirits into thinking that you were one of them so that they would not try to take your soul. In the U.S., trick-or-treating became a customary Halloween tradition around the late 1950s, after it was brought over by Irish immigrants in the early 1900s. 

#9 HALLOWEEN COLORS

The traditional Halloween colors of orange and black actually stem from the pagan celebration of autumn and the harvest, with orange symbolizing the colors of the crops and turning leaves, while black marks the "death" of summer and the changing season. Over time, green, purple and yellow have also been introduced into the color scheme of Halloween decorations. 

#10 MISCHIEF NIGHT

For some, namely troublesome teenagers, Halloween is also a time for neighborhood pranks. From egging and toilet-papering houses to smashing jack-o'-lanterns, "devil's night" can be full of mischief and menace.

The ancient Celts celebrated Samhain with bonfires, games and comical pranks. By the 1920s and 30s, however, the celebrations became more rowdy, with rising acts of vandalism, possibly due to the tension caused by the Great Depression. To curb the vandalism, adults began to hand out candy, reigniting the forgotten tradition of trick-or-treating in costume in exchange for sweets. 

#11 CANDY APPLES

The fusion of Celtic and Roman traditions is behind Halloween's candy-apple staple. Samhain was around the time of the Roman festival honoring Pamona, the goddess of fruit trees. The goddess is often symbolized by an apple, so the fruit became synonymous with Samhain celebrations of the harvest.

Candy apples are popular Halloween treats, and the sugary fruit on a stick was handed out during the early days of trick-or-treating in North America. Today, candy apples can be covered in caramel or chocolate with nuts, as well as in the classic, shiny red syrup. 

#12 BOBBING FOR APPLES

In ancient times, the apple was viewed as a sacred fruit that could be used to predict the future. Bobbing for apples is one of the traditional games used for fortune-telling on Halloween night. It was believed that the first person to pluck an apple from the water-filled bucket without using their hands would be the first to marry.

If the bobber lucked out and caught an apple on the first try, it meant that they would experience true love, while those who got an apple after many tries would be fickle in their romantic endeavors. Another myth was that if a girl put her bobbed apple under her pillow on Halloween night, she would dream about her future husband. 

#13 CANDY CORN

The candy most synonymous with Halloween, the yellow, orange and white candy meant to resemble a corn kernel, was invented in the late 1880s and began to be mass-produced in the early 1900s. The original process for making candy corn was cumbersome and time-consuming, as each color of syrup had to be heated up in large vats and carefully poured by hand into specially shaped molds.

Source: http://www.livescience.com/16677-halloween-superstitions-traditions.html