Lifestyles

• Visiting Grandma

  If the creek was up, we had to park the car next to the gravel country road, then take our shoes off and walk the long stretch to the barn (wading through the water, as water covered the road up past the barn). The water was knee high … if you were the oldest kid. So, the two youngest got carried.

• Give Me My Blanket

  Anger is in itself an arousing energy force. Its purpose is to get us moving towards or away from a challenging situation for the sake of self-preservation. If that anger is chronic, occurring frequently in our lives, it can leave toxic chemicals in our bodies that will affect our health and make it hard to react calmly to live events.

• How to Brighten the Winter Blahs

  In the Northeast we have had some significant snow storms in early December forcing us to shovel and stay home. Our initial reaction was, “How beautiful and pure.” Then the next day when driving and walking became difficult, we began complaining, “Who needs snow!” By the time Christmas rolled around no one longed for or dreamed of a white Christmas as we all had our fill. It seems that we get bored quickly with the terrain and need to change things up. We are tired of the short days and cold temperatures. When we feel bored, mildly depressed, or burned out, we always look for external stimulation.

• Don’t Make Any More New Year’s Resolutions

  Every year around December we all start thinking about the New Year’s Resolutions we will be making on January 1st. At the top of the list are dieting, exercising, quitting smoking and organizing. Then we also remember the resolutions we didn’t keep: Dieting, exercising, quitting smoking and organizing. Every year we get another chance and most importantly we can postpone the latest version of our transformation until the actual New Year – usually about a month away. Don’t we all realize by now that we won’t keep these resolutions either?

• Sustainable New Year

  We all secretly know deep down that us affluent first-worlders are living beyond the means of the planet just by living our normal first-world lives, driving a car, and buying and having and using and throwing out lots and lots of stuff.

• How to Photograph Holiday Lights

  ‘Tis the season to be jolly!” All winter holiday celebrations involve lights. This is the season of lights – from Christmas trees to Hanukkah candles to decorative house lighting. Lights…lights…lights to cheer up the long dark nights of winter. According to Chuck DeLaney, Dean of the New York Institute of Photography (NYI), the world’s largest photography school, your pictures can capture the magic of this lighting if you apply just two simple professional “tricks”.

• 7 Gift Ideas for your Caregiver

  The Holiday Season is the ideal time to express your gratitude to your child-care provider. Sharing your family’s appreciation for all they "receive" throughout the year is very important. Whether you have a full-time nanny, a day-care provider, or a teenage babysitter, there are several thoughtful gifts that can be individualized to your special caregiver.

• How to Get Rid of Spam

  It seems like email addresses and spam go hand in hand – you can’t have one without the other. Although it’s practically impossible to get rid of spam, there are ways to reduce and manage how much you receive in your Inbox.