creativity

Crafting with Kids: Using Recycled Items In The Home

The three R’s never go out of style. Not only is reducing, reusing and recycling “waste” a great way to do your part for the environment, but doing so is inherently satisfying. It feels good to do what you can to keep things out of the landfill and/or give items a second life and purpose. And what’s more, reducing, reusing, and recycling can save you money and spark the flow of some creative juices.

How To Transform Boring, Inexpensive Food Into Extraordinary Dishes

Getting the usual bargain buys at the grocery store gets sort of old, after a while, don’t you think? Luckily, a little imagination and creativity goes a long way! It’s much easier than you’d think to transform those tired kitchen staples into seemingly new, refreshing, and impressive dishes that one might even dare to describe as somewhat fancy. Who wouldn’t want to enjoy a luxurious meal without the luxurious price tag?

You Are No Fool to Align with Pyrite

Often referred to as “fool's gold” due to its golden luster, pyrite crystal may not be gold, but its healing properties and uses are priceless. Believe me when I say that you would not be a fool to align with the mystical and practical benefits of the pyrite crystal.

Sagittarius Birth Stone – Topaz

What star sign were you born under? What effect does it have on your life, if any? As the sun has recently moved into the constellation of Sagittarius, a peek at the gemstone of the month will shed a bit of light on both the energy available within this slice of the zodiac as well as on the people born during the archer's arrows.

A Bit of History

Become a Gift

When I was 20, I studied abroad in London. I interned with a publication that encouraged me to plagiarize. As you can imagine, it wasn’t a good fit. I was miserable and tried everything I could to get out of it – even going so far as lining up another internship, but the study abroad program said no. I still don’t know why. My parents got involved too and that also yielded nothing. It was the first time in my life that I couldn’t make my circumstances better. The first time I had to wait out a crappy situation. It was the first time I experienced a taste of authoritarianism and I hated it.

5 Ways Travel Can Improve Your Life

For some of us, being stuck in the same place all the time is a little boring. There’s a big world out there waiting to be explored, and while travel is certainly fun, it’s also necessary for the overall improvement of one’s life. Here are five benefits of “globe-trotting.”

Wild Garden Reflections

While looking at the overgrown parts of my vegetable garden, I felt a combination of regret and amazement. Regret because I have obviously been neglecting the garden, hence the overgrown weeds, grasses, and vegetable plants that have flowered and gone to seed. However, I was also amazed because I could still harvest quite a lot from it.

Contentedly Incomplete: On Life, Work, and Working It All Out

Last weekend, I went home to visit my family.  Lately, I’ve felt a change coming—a new adventure waiting for me, manifesting now only as the goose bumps riding my forearms.  Knowing that I might soon find myself far from my loved ones, I went home.  It rained all weekend—grey skies and even a surprise mid-May snowstorm.