It’s been a tough 2020— so much so that many of us are wondering when things will ever get back to normal. Is there even a normal now? In this series, we’ll take a look at what comes next. 

To kick things off, we’ll start with a happy topic. Vacation! It used to be that even if you weren’t going anywhere, chances are you’d have a friend or coworker that was. They’d come back with a nice tan and some great pictures to show off and be the envy of everyone— at least until the next person came back with tales of an even better vacation. Of course, things are a little different now. On the plus side, with the coronavirus having ravaged the travel industry, many hotels and airlines are offering some great deals to drum up interest. On the downside, some of the attractions you were hoping to see may have limited hours or be closed altogether. 

Spending time outside and enjoying the fresh air is always a good idea for staying both mentally and physically healthy. But these days, with most of us still being sheltered-in-place, it’s more important than ever to make sure to get some green therapy. There are several health benefits that come along with spending time outside, including:

Gluten

Wanted: for not being trendy and for being in foods with too many carbohydrates

Description: a family of proteins found in grains like wheat, rye, spelt and barley.

Why has poor gluten been singled out for such disdain?  

Remember your first date with your current partner? Maybe it was a great experience that makes you wistfully smile when you think back on it. Maybe it was an epic disaster straight out of a sitcom. However it worked out, it was interesting and fun (or at least memorable enough for a second try.) With that in mind, how long has it been since you had that sort of excitement? If you’re like many of us, you can probably think of a long list of work projects that are more recent than your last date. If we’re going to keep our lives balanced, it’s important to remember the excitement of that first date and try to recapture it once in a while. And what better way than a date night? 

We're all aware of the tendency to overindulge our stomachs during the holidays, but what about the rest of the year, and especially now that we are quarantined? Is there something more we could be doing with our normal diet given our current circumstances?

Being home all day, whether it’s newly homeschooling or teleworking, who has time to cook? The good news is there are plenty of quick tricks you can adapt in the kitchen to have a healthy dinner ready in no time!

We’ve all heard the expression about all work and no play making us a dull boy or girl. Sure, work is important, but it shouldn’t be the only thing we have going on in our lives. Like everything, there should be a comfortable equilibrium, and that’s what we’re going to talk about in our upcoming series on work-life balance.

The first part of the series is a fun topic— vacation! Everyone needs to get away now and again. Chances are you’ll remember those two weeks in Cancun a lot longer than you’ll recall the latest work project team you were on. Of course, if you are going to ‘go on holiday’ as the Brits say, you’ll want to start planning. While spontaneity is great sometimes, the general rule is that the more you plan something the more smoothly it will go. In other words, book your vacation NOW.

Winter is coming to an end. There’s a hint of a warm breeze and wait! Is that a crocus poking through the winter grass? Spring is finally here.  

You may be tempted to go full tilt at the first hint of a nice day, particularly if you’ve been cooped up all winter, but like a car engine your body needs to warm up first. 

Do you read ingredient labels? Polydimethylsiloxane, Propylene glycol, Azodicarbonamide, etc. The list goes on and on. You’re not sure exactly what they are, but it’s a pretty safe bet some of them shouldn't be part of a healthy diet. 

If you’re like many people who want to avoid eating things they can’t pronounce, here are 4 tips to help you live and eat better:

Do you think of yourself as an artist? When famed abstract artist Jackson Pollock referred to an artist, he meant anyone who is “building things.... some with a brush, some with a shovel, some choose a pen.” If your idea of creativity is building something from a watermelon, Pollock would have certainly approved!

Fruit carving, called Mukimono in Japan, has a long history, perhaps dating as far back as the 7^th century AD. Watermelons have traditionally been carved into vessels to hold a candle, much like today's jack o' lanterns, or made into baskets to hold flowers or fruit, but mostly these fruits are carved to add an artistic presentation to the table.

“We don’t stop playing because we grow old; we grow old because we stop playing.” 

                ~ George Bernard Shaw

Has that humdrum day got you down? Wanna spice up your life? Well, why not bring the Monopoly Man home with you for hours of real-estate mogul inspired adventures? And if the Monopoly Man isn’t your style, there’s Pac-man, the lovable Donkey Kong, competitive Scrabble, lawn bowling and more.

Staying healthy is more important than ever before as we try to slow the spread of COVID-19. We all know that eating healthy food and exercising is conducive to that goal, but did you know that meditation is, as well?

Research shows that meditation is beneficial for both physical and mental health, and may reduce blood pressure, pain, anxiety, depression and insomnia, as well as symptoms of irritable bowel syndrome and ulcerative colitis.

We live in a world of technological marvels that would have astounded our ancestors. It’s pretty amazing when you think about. We have access to more information on our phones that the ancients of Alexandria had in their entire library. Videos, news, sports and more are just a click away. We’re connected to our world in more ways than we ever thought possible. 

There aren’t many advantages to a long commute to and from work. It’s the price you pay for living in the country and working in the city. Sure, you may be able to catch up on some podcasts and use your vehicle as a mobile office to some extent, but it doesn’t make the rush hour traffic any more entertaining. A long commute does have one advantage, however. That long trek enables you to shift gears from work to home and from home to work every day. That type of separation can be a key step to helping your work life balance.

The electric hand buzzer, the camera that shoots water when you go in for that special ‘close-up’ or convincing your kids it’s really Sunday when the calendar says Thursday: these are just a few of the tools available to you on the world’s most mischievous day of the year.

If you’re trying to eat healthy, you know that you need to eat more vegetables— but what kind? They’re not all created equal, after all. For some variety in your diet, why not try root vegetables? No, we don’t mean tree roots. Root vegetables include such family staples as carrots, potatoes, yams, and beets, but it doesn’t stop there. There’s a whole cornucopia of flavors grown beneath the ground: