Category Archives: Tips, Tools & Techniques

Now that it is officially spring (not to mention that April 8th – 14th is Garden Week), it’s time to start planning.  There is something so exhilarating to me about planning my garden and this year I want to get started early.  I am in love with Pinterest as I assume the rest of the world is too, right?!  I found a great site there – www.sproutrobot.com – to figure out the best time for planting. All you do is … continued…

DIY Gardening Heart Healthy Jenny Kramer, RD Natural Farming Tips, Tools & Techniques

Okay, I would never have a no kitchen  work day, because cooking is kitchen work and I love cooking. But I have been inspired by National No Housework Day (which is today, April 7) to come up with six ways to make kitchen clean up easier—some of these are tips from my days in a professional kitchen, others are just common sense. But it never hurts to find ways to make clean up quicker. 1. Before you start cooking, fill … continued…

Barb Freda Healthy Habits Tips, Tools & Techniques

Wouldn’t it be great if you could just sleep a few more hours and lose weight?  This might actually be true!  Have you ever noticed after a night of too little sleep, it’s hard to get motivated to exercise?  It’s also a lot easier to just go through a drive through and forget about making dinner.  As a mom of young kids, I can identify with this.  On the nights that I get fragmented sleep or just not enough hours, … continued…

Fitness Healthy Habits Jenny Kramer, RD Tips, Tools & Techniques

Every year I enjoy putting up nest boxes around my house. It’s cool to see what birds use them and sometimes even get to see the baby birds fledge. For me, the nest boxes are a choice since I live in the country and there are plenty of natural homes available.  But in the city and suburbs, nest boxes are vital since in these areas it can be difficult for birds to find natural shelter near food and water sources. … continued…

DIY Pam Freeman Tips, Tools & Techniques

Every year, I search the markets for signs of Spring. This year, I’m going to link you to some great sites that make the most of spring ingredients. Keep in mind that Spring hits each area at different times, so these aren’t all available all at once, but it’s worth asking about when you might see these food harbingers of spring. Here’s my target list: Pea Shoots: The first tendrils of pea plants are entirely edible—even if you find some … continued…

Barb Freda Healthy Habits Healthy, Delicious Recipes Heart Healthy Tips, Tools & Techniques

Today is the first day of Spring – Woo Hoo!  Are you bored with your indoor exercise routine? Be bored no more … Spring is here and the warmer weather brings many opportunities to get outside and be active!  Not only is exercising outside a nice change of pace from your indoor winter workouts, some studies show that exercising outdoors actually comes with some additional mental health benefits when compared to exercising indoors.  These benefits include greater decreases in tension, … continued…

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Fitness Healthy Habits Heart Healthy Judy Eggebeen Tips, Tools & Techniques

I love bird watching and feeding birds in my backyard. My mom got me started when I was young. Some of my first memories are of sitting in my her bird garden with the sunflowers and standing at our back door watching the birds happily avail themselves of the smorgasbord Mom provided. Now, I’ve done the same thing with my kids. I’ve even taught my kids colors and simple counting while they watched our backyard birds. The great thing about … continued…

DIY Pam Freeman Tips, Tools & Techniques

The Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics annually declares March as National Nutrition Month. This year’s theme is “Get Your Plate in Shape.” Most of us would love to get our bodies in shape but the key to doing that is to start with your plate. Here are some changes to getting your plate in top shape: • Choose a smaller plate size. Consider using a saucer instead of a dinner plate. Research indicates that our plate size has increased 36% … continued…

Fitness Healthy Habits Heart Healthy Jenny Kramer, RD Tips, Tools & Techniques

The best defense is a good offense. As in the best defense against heading out to eat on a whim (hurting your wallet and your waistline) is a good offense of having a great meal in the freezer, ready to thaw, heat and serve on (almost) a moment’s notice. Most food freezes well, but there are ways to freeze food that ensure great results. Here are some tips to get started. March gives a nod to Frozen Food Day, so … continued…

Barb Freda Healthy Habits Tips, Tools & Techniques

The fitness world comes with lots of myths.  Here are five of the most common misconceptions that I get asked about. 1.    Running is the only way to get fit.  Sure, running is a great way to get fit… but it’s not the only way!  If you don’t like to run, then don’t run.  Other types of aerobic exercise (cycling, aerobics classes, swimming, brisk walking, etc.) come with fitness benefits, too!  If you choose something you enjoy, you’re more likely … continued…

5 Fitness Myths Busted
Fitness Healthy Habits Heart Healthy Judy Eggebeen Tips, Tools & Techniques