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Protect Pets Both Inside and Outside the Home

Megan HerrenPets, Safety

Newly adopted pets waste little time becoming beloved members of a household. But much like young children, pets are a significant responsibility, and they rely on their human caretakers to ensure their safety.

Pets are susceptible to illness and injury just like their human companions. The Pet Poison Hotline reported a 51 percent increase in the volume of calls between 2020 and 2021. Banfield Pet Hospitals also saw about half a million more pet visits in 2020 than in 2019. Furthermore, Dogster reports that 47 percent of pet owners had to deal with a serious medical issue or took their pets to emergency care in 2021.

Keeping cherished pets safe in and around a home is no small task. But with some diligence, it is possible to ensure health and happiness for companion animals. Follow these tips, courtesy of the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, Old Farm Veterinary Hospital and Security.org.

· Consider an indoor and outdoor security camera system. Having eyes on pets while you’re away from home enables a quick response should something happen.

· Avoid leaving pet food outdoors overnight. Dog and cat foods can attract other animals, such as bears, raccoons, foxes, and opossums, depending on where you live. Wild animals grow accustomed to receiving easy meals and this could decrease their trepidation about being around a home or yard. Run-ins between your pets and wild animals should be avoided at all costs.

· Skip the retractable leash. Walking a pet on a non-retractable leash allows better control of the pet in the event of an encounter with a person or another animal.

· Be cautious with chemicals. Carefully consider any chemicals you use in your yard, including pesticides and weed killers, as well as any cleaning products used indoors. Pets can ingest or inhale these products and get sick.

· Pick up potential choking hazards. String, small pieces of toys, rawhide bone fragments, and other items can be choking hazards to pets. Be diligent about removing these items from the floor so that pets will not swallow them.

· Tap on your car hood. Families who allow their cats outdoor access should thump on the car hood when it is cold outside, as sometimes cats take shelter near a warm engine block. Cats can become injured if you start the car while they are under the hood.

· Stay up-to-date on vaccinations. Whether pets never step outdoors or have free rein, always vaccinate companion animals against common parasites and other pests.

· Microchip your pets. Microchips not only protect pets should they get lost, but they also can help track down animals that may have been stolen. Remember to keep microchip data current to ensure a swift recovery.

· Keep foods and medicines out of reach. Many human foods can be toxic to pets, as can medications that are kept in a home. Pets can be curious and easy access to these items may make them quite ill.

Pets need their owners to take key steps to safeguard their well-being.

Lemon Drizzle Cupcakes

Megan HerrenBaking, Recipes

Cupcakes are handheld treats that can make any celebration even more spectacular. If guests expect the standard flavors of chocolate, vanilla or even red velvet, change things up with a sunny surprise: lemon!

Enjoy this recipe for “Lemon Drizzle Cupcakes” from “Jane’s Patisserie” (Sourcebooks) by Jane Dunn. Anything with sweet drizzle is a hit, and these cupcakes deliver plenty of lemony flavor in every bite.

Lemon Drizzle Cupcakes

Makes 12

Cupcakes:

1/2 cup butter or baking spread

1/2 cup caster sugar

3 eggs

1 cup self-raising flour

Zest of 1 lemon

Drizzle:

Juice of 2 lemons

5 1/2 tablespoons caster sugar

Lemon Buttercream:

1/2 cup unsalted butter, at room temperature

2 1/4 cups icing sugar

Juice of 1/2 lemon

Sprinkles

Lemon zest

Preheat the oven to 350 F and get 12 cupcake liners ready. Beat the butter with the sugar until light and fluffy. Add the eggs, self-raising flour and lemon zest and mix until combined. Spoon the mix evenly into the cupcake liners and bake for 18 to 22 minutes until they are baked through and springy to the touch.

Mix together the lemon juice and sugar for the drizzle in a bowl. Once the cupcakes are out of the oven, carefully spoon the drizzle over the cupcakes, then leave them to cool fully on a wire rack while you make the buttercream.

Beat the butter until smooth; this can take a couple of minutes. Add the icing sugar in two batches, beating well after each addition, then add the lemon juice and beat again.

Pipe or spread the buttercream onto your cupcakes, then sprinkle each one with some sprinkles and lemon zest.

Crafts For St. Patrick’s Day Celebrations

Megan HerrenCrafts, DIY, Holidays

While it certainly can be fun to visit a pub and raise a pint in honor of St. Patrick’s Day on March 17, such efforts are not necessarily a family-friendly way to commemorate the patron saint of the Emerald Isle. Thankfully, there are plenty of activities for children and adults that focus less on imbibing and more on hands-on fun so everyone can be involved equally. Crafting often fits that bill.

The following are some unique craft ideas to celebrate the spirit of St. Patrick’s Day. Many of these projects include items you may already have around the house.

Shamrock Key Chain

Find your favorite salt dough recipe and use a shamrock cookie cutter to cut out the shape of a lucky clover. Poke a hole at the top where you can connect a key ring. When the shamrock is dried and hardened, paint it in a vivid shade of green. Attach keys, a school ID or anything else to the key ring, or simply hang it from a backpack.

Leprechaun Hats

With a little green paint, green card stock and construction paper in black and gold, anyone can create miniature leprechaun hats. Paint the toilet paper tube green, then wrap the bottom in a strip of black and place a gold “buckle” made out of a rectangle of gold or yellow paper. Glue the tube to a round of green card stock, and voila, you have a perfect leprechaun hat for decorating a room or table.

Easy Rainbow Craft

Grab some fruity O-shaped cereal and let kids sort the colors into red, orange, yellow, green, and purple. Glue rows of these colored cereal rings onto a piece of white cardstock to make the rainbow. At the base of the rainbow, glue some cotton balls to serve as the clouds.

Beaded Bracelets

Visit a craft store and stock up on small green, white and gold beads, as well as some bracelet wire or poly string. Spend a few hours making bracelets that everyone can wear with their green attire for St. Patrick’s Day. The bracelets also can be given as gifts.

Shamrock Slime

Those who can find green glitter glue and shamrock confetti can turn their favorite slime recipe into one worthy of St. Patrick’s Day.

Rainbow Cereal Bars

Incorporate some of the marshmallows from a favorite “lucky” cereal brand into the mix of rice cereal treats to give them a rainbow-inspired upgrade.

Pots of Gold

If you have leftover plastic witches’ cauldrons from Halloween, paint them gold and use them to store foil-wrapped chocolate coins. Otherwise, tie green helium-filled balloons to the cauldron to make a perfect centerpiece.

St. Patrick’s Day crafts get the entire family in on the fun of celebrating the Emerald Isle.

Auto Interior Maintenance and Cleaning Tips

Megan HerrenAuto Detailing, Automotive, Cleaning

A number of factors are involved in keeping a vehicle functioning and looking good. Ensuring a vehicle interior is clean and tidy is easily overlooked, but such efforts can improve the driving experience.

Drivers who want their cars and trucks to look their best should not forget their vehicle interiors. Drivers unsure where to start can spruce up their vehicle interiors in the following ways.

Remove any trash

Wrappers, receipts, empty water bottles, and other items can quickly pile up inside a car, especially for drivers who have young children. Routinely go through the vehicle to gather and remove debris.

Vacuum the interior

Start off with a can of compressed air and blow out dust and any other dirt that has accumulated in tight crevices. Then use a high-powered vacuum to conduct a thorough cleaning. Pay attention to the seams of car seats, door handles, armrests, floor mats (and under them), underneath child safety seats, and the trunk or cargo area. If you don’t have a vacuum with a lot of suction, utilize one at a do-it-yourself car wash location.

Scrub floor mats

Drivers with rubber mats can remove them and make a mild cleaning solution of a few drops of dish soap and warm water. Use a soft-bristled brush to clean the mats. Upholstered mats can be shampooed using a carpet cleaner. Then rinse and hang to dry. All mats should be completely dry before being returned to the vehicle.

Clean the upholstery

Seats can get dirty and dingy over time. For cloth vehicle seats, use a proper spray or foam upholstery cleaner. All-purpose cleaner can work on vinyl seats, but leather seats require a special leather soap and conditioner. Avoid products with silicone, which can stain your clothes and may make interior surfaces too slippery.

Address glass surfaces

Turn your attention to the windshield, windows and mirrors. You can use a store-bought glass cleaner on these surfaces and a lint-free cloth. Avoid products containing ammonia, which may damage tinting on windows.

Consider lingering odors

If the interior of the car has an odor, the cabin air filter may need to be changed, or there may be water entering the vehicle somewhere and creating a musty smell. Seek out any problems and address. A car air freshener can further improve the interior smell.

A thorough deep cleaning can be done at least once a month to keep a vehicle’s interior fresh and clean. However, keeping up with interior cleaning and maintenance by doing small jobs regularly will reduce the need for routine deep cleaning.

Strategies To Manage and Tame Stress

Megan HerrenAdvice, Lifestyle

Stress is a part of life. In small doses, stress can have a positive effect. But when stress is chronic, it can take its toll on the body and mind.

Stress can make people irritable and cause them to lash out at others. Stress also can contribute to high blood pressure and adversely affect sleep. When confronting chronic stress, individuals may have to take action to find relief. These stress-busting strategies can help.

Engage In Physical Activity

The Mayo Clinic says any form of exercise can help relieve stress. Physical activity boosts chemicals in the brain and endorphins that help a person feel good. Exercise also can refocus attention so a person is not preoccupied with a stressful thought or situation.

Listen To Music

Music can be calming and serve as a distraction from stressful feelings. Simply listening to music can be a quick fix for a stressful situation and a bad mood.

Review Your Lifestyle

It’s easy to take on too much, but doing so can lead to feelings of being overwhelmed, says the Mental Health Foundation. Prioritizing some things over others and delegating when possible can tame stress.

Practice Mindfulness

Breathing and mindfulness exercises can be practiced anywhere. Research has shown that mindfulness can reduce the effects of stress and anxiety. Deep breathing and being in a quiet moment when stress peaks may help to reduce stress.

Step Away For A Few Minutes

If possible, step away from a stressful situation, whether it is a difficult project at work or a loud room with a lot of activity going on. Many people find commuting stressful. Changing the route to one that avoids busy roads, even if it takes a bit longer to get from point A to point B, might help.

Talk It Out

Sometimes connecting with others and sharing experiences can help to relieve stress. Keeping feelings in and fixating on a situation may exacerbate feelings of stress. Social situations that encourage talking and laughing can lighten a person’s mental load, says the Mayo Clinic.

Don’t Turn To Substances

Alcohol and drugs may temporarily relieve stress, but this approach can lead to addiction and even worsen the physical and mental toll stress takes on the body.

Stress is a part of life, but finding ways to manage chronic stress is vital to long-term health.

Attract Winged Friends With These Bird Feeders

Megan HerrenAnimals, Outdoors

Birds are beautiful creatures that can make a lawn and garden feel even more serene. Providing snacks to supplement what birds naturally find in the wild guarantees up close and personal interactions with the scores of species that call neighborhoods home.

Bird feeders are particularly important in colder climates and during wintertime when food may be scarce. Keeping birds well fed helps them survive over winter and continue to repopulate in the spring. Bird feeding isn’t all for the birds, either. Ashley Dayer, an associate professor in the Department of Fish and Wildlife Conservation at Virginia Tech, argues that feeding birds also is a benefit to humans because it stimulates compassion for the animals.

The type of bird feeder a person places in the yard determines which species may be drawn to the property. The following are various types of feeders to consider.

Suet Feeders

Suet cakes are high-energy food sources that attract birds like woodpeckers and nuthatches. They are particularly beneficial in colder months or regions where birds need extra fat for energy. These cage-like feeders snap around the rectangular suet cake and hang from a pole or tree.

Ground Feeder

Ground feeders are simple screen-bottomed trays that sit several inches off of the ground or on a deck to help keep seeds and grain from coming in contact with droppings. Ground feeders are a favorite of juncos, sparrows, goldfinches, and cardinals, among others.

Sugar Water Feeder

These feeders come in different shapes, from tubes to round dishes, and are magnets to hummingbirds. They typically have red coloring to be more attractive to those high-speed flyers.

Nyjer Bird Feeder

Small birds like goldfinches love to dine on nyjer seeds, which are tiny, black thistle seeds. These feeders are tube-shaped mesh socks designed to hold this specific seed. The small feeding ports prevent seed waste and cater to the small beaks of finches.

Hopper Bird Feeder

These are the feeders many people think of when they envision bird feeders. Hopper bird feeders hold a large amount of seed and often have a roof or a design that mimics a house or barn. The covered design helps to keep seeds dry and might be the best hanging feeder for people who live in areas with a lot of rain. Hoppers will attract blue jays, grackles, cardinals, and blackbirds.

Tube Feeders

Tube feeders will attract an array of birds. They are cylindrical in shape with various ports to enable birds to perch and feed.

Window and Smart Bird Feeders

These types of bird feeders attach to windows to allow homeowners to view the birds up close. Smart varieties have cameras on the feeders that will send a feed via an app to a smart phone or computer. Some even may identify the bird species on the feeder at any given point in time.

Bird feeders provide enjoyment for bird watchers and nutritious food various species.

Pick The Perfect Valentine’s Day Flowers

Megan HerrenGift Ideas, Seasonal

Valentine’s Day is steeped in tradition. Giving flowers is a popular tradition each February 14, and the National Retail Federation estimates that people spend around $2.6 billion on flowers for Valentine’s Day, when an estimated 250 million stems of flowers are sold globally. Valentine’s Day is the most lucrative day for florists, with the red rose the most popular flower given on this day for lovebirds.

Just because millions of roses are prepared in advance of Valentine’s Day sales doesn’t mean this is the type of flower that one has to choose for a bouquet or arrangement. A surprise bouquet can feature unique blooms. Here are tips to give the perfect bouquet to the person who claims your heart.

Identify Your Loved One’s Favorite Colors and Flowers

Understanding your partner’s floral preferences is the first step in choosing a Valentine’s Day arrangement. Many have a favorite flower type or color, and everyone’s isn’t necessarily a red rose. Some people love bright daffodils, while others like exotic lilies. Pay attention to these likes to select flowers that will delight your partner.

Select Fresh Flowers

When buying flowers in person, make sure they are fresh by gently feeling the part of the petal that meets the stem. If this part is firm, then the flower is fresh.

Opt For Neutral Tones

If you’re unsure of which flowers to buy, stick with varietals in white and soft, neutral tones. This will lend a more romantic vibe to the bouquet. Bright, high-contrast florals may come off as tacky unless you can guarantee that the person prefers them.

Keep Allergies In Mind

Valentine’s Day should be about offering love, not a case of the sniffles. If the person in your life suffers from floral allergies, avoid certain blooms, like sunflowers, chrysanthemums and hyacinths, suggests Funny How Flowers Do That, a United Kingdom-based flower company. Tulips, irises and hydrangea are less likely to cause an allergic reaction.

Order Early

Time is of the essence when getting flowers for Valentine’s Day. Florists may rush or have fewer flowers to work with as Valentine’s Day draws closer. Ordering well in advance means you’ll get your desired arrangement.

Choosing flowers comes down to a few simple steps to offer a gift of love on Valentine’s Day.

Smoked Chicken Wings

Megan HerrenCooking, Recipes, Sports

Super Bowl Sunday has become an unofficial holiday in the United States, where fans ranging from the diehard to the casual to those simply tuning in for the commercials and halftime show gather to enjoy a few fun-filled hours. Seasoned party hosts know that food features as prominently as football and fun come Super Bowl Sunday. Guests may expect a few staples, including chicken wings. With that in mind, hosts can impress their guests by serving up this recipe for “Virgil’s Smoked Chicken Wings With Blue Cheese Dip” from Neal Corman’s “Virgil’s Barbecue Road Trip Cookbook” (St. Martin’s Press).

Virgil’s Smoked Chicken Wings With Blue Cheese Dip

Serves 4

Blue Cheese Dip

2 cups blue cheese crumbles, divided

1 cup mayonnaise

1/2 cup buttermilk

2 teaspoons hot sauce

1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce

1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

1/4 cup finely chopped scallions

1/4 cup finely chopped celery

Marinade

1/2 cup vegetable oil

1/2 cup hot sauce

4 tablespoons Virgil’s Dry Rub (see below)

4 tablespoons granulated garlic

4 tablespoons granulated onion

Juice of 1/2 lemon

Wings

8 large chicken wings

1/2 cup Virgil’s Dry Rub (see below)

Sauce

10 tablespoons unsalted butter

1 teaspoon cornstarch

4 tablespoons white vinegar

3/4 cup hot sauce

1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper

Virgil’s Dry Rub

Makes 5 to 51/2 cups

21/2 cups sweet paprika

1 cup granulated sugar

1/2 cup Texas-style chili powder

1/2 cup minced onion

1/2 cup granulated garlic

1/4 cup dried parsley flakes

6 tablespoons kosher salt

Combine all of the ingredients in a medium bowl and whisk together until completely incorporated. Transfer to a covered bowl with a tight-fitting lid. Store in a cool, dry place.

Directions:

1. To make the dip, combine 1 cup of the blue cheese, mayonnaise, buttermilk, hot sauce, Worcestershire sauce, and salt in the bowl of a food processor and blend on low until smooth.

2. Remove to a medium mixing bowl and fold in the rest of the blue cheese, scallions and celery, being sure to break up the larger blue cheese crumbles. Place in a covered container and refrigerate overnight.

3. Mix all the marinade ingredients in a large mixing bowl. Place the wings in a large container with a lid and pour the mixture over the wings. Toss until the wings are thoroughly coated. Cover and refrigerate for 2 days.

4. Preheat the grill or smoker to 245 F.

5. Spread out the wings on a sheet pan and wipe away any excess marinade. Sprinkle liberally with the dry rub, coating the wings all over.

6. Position the wings on the grill away from the direct heat of the coals or burners, and add hickory to the smoker or hickory chips on the coals or gas burners.

7. Cook the wings for about 3 hours, flipping every 30 minutes (their internal temperature should be about 165 F when cooked).

8. While the wings are cooking, cut the butter for the sauce into 1-inch cubes and refrigerate. Whisk the cornstarch into the white vinegar in a small bowl.

9. In a medium sauté pan over medium heat, bring the hot sauce to a simmer and whisk in the thickened vinegar. Return to a simmer, cook for 1 minute, and remove from the heat.

10. Add the cayenne and slowly whisk in the cold butter. Keep warm until serving.

11. Remove the wings from the smoker or grill and put half of them into a bowl, cover with the sauce, and toss. Repeat with the remaining wings and serve on a platter, with the blue cheese dip on the side.

Strategies To Find The Right Volunteer Opportunity

Megan HerrenAdvice, Volunteer

Volunteering is one way to give back to the community, and also for people to give back to themselves. Individuals can reap many benefits from volunteering, including improving self-esteem and building professional relationships. With so much to be said for volunteering, people may wonder how to find the best places to volunteer their time and skills. Finding the right match takes a little bit of effort, and these strategies can further such attempts.

Focus On Your Passions

A great place to begin when considering volunteering is to identify causes you are passionate about. Consider your hobbies, social issues that matter to you and your own professional experience. This process can help narrow down some volunteering options.

Identify Your Skills and What You Have To Offer

Nonprofit groups often seek people who can help them in specific areas. Skills like fundraising, public relations, marketing, or event planning are highly valuable within the nonprofit community.

Try a Short-Term Project

When testing the volunteering waters, it might be best to start small. You can take on a short-term project or commit to a few hours per week. If an opportunity does not seem like the right fit, you can move on to something new relatively easily.

Determine Your Availability

Figure out how much time you can realistically commit to an organization. A group that requires daily effort might not be the right fit if you only have a few hours a week to spare.

Use a Volunteer Matching Service

Resources like VolunteerMatch or All for Good can help you find organizations that align with your interests .

Seek Recommendations From Individuals You Trust

Talk to friends, colleagues, neighbors, or family to ask if they can offer insight about volunteer organizations based on their own experiences.

Think About Your Reasons For Volunteering

Ponder why you want to get involved in charity work. Some people want to network while others want to gain new experiences. For others, volunteering is a means to getting involved with a charity that supports an effort near to their hearts. Knowing why you want to volunteer can help you narrow down the opportunities.

While volunteering is a meaningful experience for those involved, it can take time and effort before those who want to give back find the right opportunity to do so.

How Seniors Can Diversify Their Workouts

Megan HerrenExercise, Seniors

Adults often lament a lack of time to incorporate exercise into their daily routines. Such difficulties are not exaggerated, as the demands of work and family, particularly for parents of young children with busy schedules of their own, can leave little time for daily workouts. Hectic schedules typically do not prevent older adults and seniors from exercising, but aging men and women may still confront some challenges as they aspire to be as physically active as possible.

Boredom with an exercise routine can adversely affect individuals’ motivation to be physically active. When that happens, even individuals with ample time to exercise, such as empty nesters ands seniors, may find it increasingly difficult to go to the gym or work out at home. In such situations, the more diverse a workout routine is, the less monotonous it can feel, and that lack of monotony can be enough to keep individuals up and moving. With that in mind, the following suggestions can help individuals diversify their workout routines so they remain engaged with physical activity.

Make Use of the Seasons

Exercise boredom can develop at any time of year, but disinterest in a workout routine might be especially likely when diversifying a regimen becomes more difficult. For example, the colder temperatures of winter can force individuals to do most if not all of their exercising indoors, which can grow monotonous over time. If exercising outdoors in winter is a nonstarter, then individuals can emphasize outdoor workouts throughout the rest of the year when the weather is more amenable. Incorporate hiking into your weekly routine in spring, summer and fall, and replace typical cardiovascular workouts on a treadmill or elliptical with bike rides when the weather allows. Individuals also can invest in gear to keep them warm so they can get outside to exercise after the mercury drops.

Skip the Circuit Workouts for more Specialized Regimens

Circuit workouts can be great for busy individuals without much time to exercise each week. Such workouts target various muscle groups in quick succession, which allows individuals to work out every muscle group even during weeks when time is limited. However, circuit workouts can be monotonous for people who have the time to exercise each day. In such situations, individuals can specialize their workouts so they target a different muscle group during each session. Doing so can diversify a workout to reduce boredom and may even decrease the risk of repetitive use injuries.

Embrace New Ways to Exercise

A gym with all the familiar weights, machines and cardiovascular equipment might be the first thing people think of when pondering exercise. And while gym memberships can motivate people to exercise, traditional fitness facilities are not the only places to break a sweat and be physically active. If a diverse workout regimen is your goal, consider incorporating yoga, Pilates and other less traditional forms of exercise into your routine. Many fitness facilities even offer such classes, and local communities also may feature standalone yoga studios or other establishments offering specific exercises.

Diverse workout routines can help people overcome the boredom and lack of motivation that can develop when regimens feature little variety.

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