Given that we often pack our summers with vacations, yard projects, and camping trips, it can be difficult to find time to get together and hang out with friends. It’s so important that we fellowship with our friends, though, so we shouldn’t put socializing on hold until the busy summer months have passed. Fortunately, there are a … [Read more...] about 10 Summer Get Together Ideas
Food Safety at Barbecues and Picnics
‘Tis the season for picnics and barbecues. I’m eager to eat a juicy burger, flavorful baked beans, and refreshing watermelon. What I’m not eager for is foodborne illness, a surprisingly common consequence of improper food handling at these gatherings. Fortunately, several commonsense measures can keep us safe as we enjoy our favorite foods … [Read more...] about Food Safety at Barbecues and Picnics
What Determines if Your Day Is Good or Bad?
If you’re anything like me and many people I know, you absentmindedly respond to questions about your day with words such as “fine” or “okay.” If you really take time to reflect on your day instead of automatically responding with one of these neutral words, what factors determine if your day is good or bad? I realized recently that I … [Read more...] about What Determines if Your Day Is Good or Bad?
Road Tripping with Baby: Tips for an Enjoyable Ride
Don’t you just love road trips—the miles of open road, beautiful scenery, and roadside curiosities to explore during stops? Well, at least that’s how it was before becoming the parent of an infant! Now the list goes something like this: a screaming baby in the backseat, a poopsplosion all over the car seat, and stressed out … [Read more...] about Road Tripping with Baby: Tips for an Enjoyable Ride
Ways to Conserve Water Outside the Home
Last week we looked at dozens of ways we can conserve water in the home. Water conservation outside the home is just as important. In fact, given how much water is used in yards, it may be even more important! Water use outside the home is so critical because urban lawn watering is the single largest demand on the majority of municipal … [Read more...] about Ways to Conserve Water Outside the Home
Overcoming the Anxieties of Motherhood
It wasn’t until I saw a second line appear on a home pregnancy test that I began to understand just how much anxiety is associated with motherhood. At first it was concerns about the possibility of miscarriage, preterm labor, or stillbirth. These concerns soon gave way to fears about SIDS and apprehension about whether or not to sleep … [Read more...] about Overcoming the Anxieties of Motherhood
How to Spend Less Time Shopping for Groceries
I’ve always enjoyed grocery shopping. It’s not an activity that I want to rush through; however, I have a daughter who accompanies me to the store and a busy schedule, so I can rarely grocery shop at a leisurely pace. If you need to get into the store, shop, and get out quickly, then you may benefit from these strategies that can help you … [Read more...] about How to Spend Less Time Shopping for Groceries
Ways to Conserve Water in the Home
Most of us in the U.S. are easily able to access clean water. We simply turn on a faucet and it’s there. Until we face drought conditions, we typically don’t give thought to how water is a scarce, precious resource. Only 1% of the world’s water is freshwater that is accessible for human use; global demand for this water increases by … [Read more...] about Ways to Conserve Water in the Home
