I am not a natural born gardener. You’d think I would be, since my parents both have a way with plants: my dad is an avid vegetable gardener, and my mom went to school for horticulture and landscape architecture. But somewhere in the murky waters of the gene pool, their green thumbs withered and snapped off like the brown stems of the hydrangea bushes in front of our house after only one and a half summers under my care. But, much to the horror of plants everywhere, I just keep trying. Continue Reading
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Recent Articles, News & Daily Updates
Weight Gain After Weaning
When I was pregnant I was worried that I’d never be able to lose the weight I was putting on during those nine months. But just a couple of weeks after giving birth to my son I had already lost the twenty pounds I had gained during pregnancy, and just a few short months after that, I was down twenty pounds from my pre-pregnancy weight. Continue Reading
20 Books by Women Every Woman Should Read
I’m not a fan of “chick lit.” I don’t mean that I can’t occasionally enjoy a lazy summer beach read or romantic page-turner. What I mean is that I don’t like the phrase “chick lit,” which seems to have a negative connotation amongst critics and literature buffs. If “chick lit” refers to every poorly written novel about women who love to shop and long for a fairytale romance, why don’t we call those predictable, paint-by-number detective mysteries or outlandish sci-fi novels “dude lit”? It just seems a bit unfair. Continue Reading
Sneaky Workouts
Time is running out—there are only a couple weeks left until I get married and go on a wonderful, tropical week-long vacation that I could desperately use. I’ve been just a little busy lately, so working out often gets pushed to the back burner. I mostly like running because it’s good for me and I actually think it’s fun. Looking good is an added bonus. Now that I’m trying to work out for the sake of my looks in a wedding dress and bikini, I don’t have the time for it. My time crunch has me resorting to sneaky workouts in an effort to make up for how few miles I’ve been putting on my running shoes lately. Continue Reading
Installing New Bee Hives
This week I have been expanding my beekeeping empire, slowly but surely I edge ever closer to total domination. Soon I will be the last beekeeper standing and all will bow before me. Continue Reading
How to Write Your Wedding Vows
Dig out a scratch piece of paper.
Scrabble around for three to five minutes looking for a pen.
Doodle little circles on the edges of the paper.
Write “Wedding Vows” at the top of the paper.
Stare fixedly at the paper as your mind goes blank. Continue Reading
Communication Breakdown Part One: A Little Introduction Which Lacks A Witty Subtitle
I’m no zoologist, but I’m going to go out on a scientific limb here for a second and make a bold claim: the human animal is a very chatty breed. Dare I say the chattiest? Well, I don’t know. I’ve lived next door to poodles that could bark both your ears off given half a chance. But I will go ahead and dare anyway for the sake of sensationalism. WE ARE THE CHATTIEST. Continue Reading
How to Meditate, and Why
I sat in meditation today, for the first time in months, and it was obvious that I’m out of practice. I struggled to find a comfortable sitting position and to keep my breathing in my belly instead of my shoulders. My mind wandered. My right foot started to go to sleep. At one point, I was itchy in three different places, none of which I would allow myself to scratch. And when I finished, I had a crick in the left side of my lower back. Continue Reading
Mind the (Thigh) Gap
Forget rock-hard abs and sun-kissed skin. Apparently the latest trend in the ever-evolving quest to define beauty is the “thigh gap,” and teenage girls and young women are once again going to dangerous lengths to try to meet this new requirement for having the perfect body. Continue Reading
Tallgrass Ethos IPA
Style: IPA
IBU’s: 110
ABV: 6.8%
Color: Golden orange
Carbonation: Medium-low
Head: Thick and white with a medium rate of dissipation
How to Share the Sidewalk
Winter is finally over, and everybody wants to get outside to enjoy all the glorious summer activities Minnesota has to offer. Enjoying your city’s walking and cycling paths sounds like one of the easiest summer activities out there, but there are some people who seem to struggle with it and could use a few pointers on sidewalk etiquette. To make the sidewalks a safe and enjoyable place for everyone, please abide by the following rules: Continue Reading
Hopping into Summer
After a couple of false starts, I think we’re finally through the season of snow. This is good news for those of us whose thumbs tend to radiate a shade of green. The one major seasonal threat to plant life that is left is a late spring frost–something that devastated my hop vines last year. If you remember, last year was unnaturally warm in the months of April through March. This tricked my hop vines into emerging from the safety of their properly mulched rhizomes. They were over six feet tall, racing up the ropes I had so dutifully provided for them when it happened. Continue Reading