by guest blogger, Mark A. Moyad. Here are my favorite tips for staying physically, mentally, and emotionally healthy during the winter months. (Vacation not included!) These 5 simple suggestions are things anyone can do easily and inexpensively to stave off the winter blues and sniffles.
Tag Archives | Random Thoughts
The Great Staycation Writing Retreat
I do my best writing when I’m alone in hotels. In other words, when I am free from the needs, interests, and schedules of other creatures (husband, dog). When I can get into the groove and stay there, I am capable of writing insane quantities in a short period of time. But it’s expensive. So when my husband went out of town on business for a week, I took the opportunity to recreate those productivity-inducing conditions at home, on the cheap. Here’s what I did:
Five Clutter-Free Gift Ideas
When I was a kid, Santa would not come unless I cleaned out my room first. We hauled out bags of trash and donated toys to make room for new stuff. And then, as I got older, I stopped wanting new stuff but still really wanted to clean out my apartment. I love the cleanliness and the lightness that comes from clearing away the clutter. But the holidays…the rooms are an explosion of stuff and clutter. Don’t throw a clutter bomb at someone! Here are some alternative gift ideas that are awesome but won’t get someone kicked out of the cult of less.
Why I Eat Meat
For some reason, many people are surprised when they find out I am not a vegetarian. Oh, I’ve tried it over the years and I’ve considered it seriously, but I’ve chosen a different path. I grew up on a farm with lots of animals. Yes, the animals were cute. They were my friends and I loved to play with them. But, yes, they were so delicious after a long day of playing outside. For some reason I never questioned it or felt conflicted about it, and I learned firsthand about how integral a part of the farm the animals were.
The Lance Armstrong Pile-On
Let’s get something straight from the start. I’ve never met Lance Armstrong. I’ve never worshipped him, either. And my family owns Bicycling Magazine and I’m the CEO of the company it’s a part of. I once saw him speak at A Clinton Global Initiative, and the way all those “alpha males” were fawning over each other and calling each other “my friend” over and over kind of made me want to puke, even though I didn’t quite understand why at the time.
Royal Watching and Royal Reading
Fun fact: I was almost Mrs. Prince William and thus the future Queen of England. I had been accepted to St. Andrews University and would have been in the same year as both the prince and Kate Middleton, and was planning to attend except for the outrageous interference of my mother and The Incident Which Shall Not Be Discussed. Had I gone, I do presume I would have snared the prince.
The Magical Power of People Poop
Every once in a while I see something that stops me in my tracks. This time it was a report I saw in our internal library abstracts that told of a new and highly effective experimental treatment for a very threatening illness known in hospital talk as C. diff (aka Clostridium Difficile). It’s an infection people who are on antibiotics can get, and it’s often deadly. Hospitals do not like C. diff, and it’s whispered in hushed tones, “He’s got C. diff.” Not good. But, now, there might be an effective and safe treatment, and it was found in a very unlikely place…
I’d Like to Thank the Academy…
by guest blogger Maya Rodale. Confession: Sometimes while sitting on the couch and sipping my morning coffee, I imagine delivering acceptance speeches for awards I have yet to win (or even be nominated for). Is this the height of vanity? Possibly. But imaginary speeches are my way of distilling lessons I’ve been learning about my craft, my career, or myself.
Scratch
Raised on America’s first organic farm, Scratch author Maria Rodale learned how to make everyday favorites from, yes, scratch — the way you remember them; the way they turn out best.
Order NowOrganic Manifesto
Drawing on findings from leading health researchers as well as conversations with both chemical and organic farmers from coast to coast, Maria Rodale irrefutably outlines the unacceptably high cost of chemical farming on our health and our environment.
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