Blog

Lately, as a woman in her early fifties, I have been struggling with the following types of exhaustion: For the physical aspect, I have considered exercise options like CrossFit programs or martial arts and am spending more time doing weight training in the gym. When it comes to my spiritual fitness, being a part of […]

Addiction

Psychology sociology

How to Help Someone Struggling with Addiction

How do you help someone struggling with addiction? The short answer to this question is you can’t – that is, not until they are ready and willing to make the necessary changes. Here’s a good indication of when someone might be ready: For some, it may be defined as losing their mind, losing a child […]

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Enrichment

Pets

How to Get Dog Certified to Visit Nursing Homes

Recently, I wrote an article about the importance of therapy animals (specifically dogs with training geared towards obedience and therapy) in nursing homes, elder care, and memory care facilities or assisted living communities for people suffering from dementia or Alzheimer’s. I stressed the essential need for these patients to be able to stay in their […]

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Health

Pain Management

What Foods Increase Estrogen Levels in Females

This past fall marked my official transition from perimenopause into full-fledged menopause. Even though I do have injuries from being a lifelong athlete and an outdoor activity enthusiast, a lot of my chronic pain and sleep issues lately are directly attributed to the reduced levels of estrogen in my body. The role of estrogen is […]

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Home

Weather

Maryland Storm Preparedness and Emergency Alerts

On September 18, 2003, Hurricane Isabel hit Maryland and caused serious damage across the state. Starting out as a powerful Category 5 hurricane in the Atlantic, Isabel made landfall in North Carolina as a Category 2 hurricane. Although it had weakened to a tropical storm by the time it reached Maryland, Isabel still brought heavy […]

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Outdoors

How to Trim Arborvitae

When I moved to the Lakes Area of Oakland Count in Southeast Michigan almost twenty-five years ago from the Plymouth-Canton area which is much closer to downtown Detroit and has more of a city feel versus an “up north” feel, I did not realize what that would entail. For instance, since moving to this area, […]

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Excercise

Health

How to Tell if You Have a Baker’s Cyst

How I was able to tell that I had not one but two Baker’s cysts behind both knees was through an exam with my orthopedic, who then sent me to get a diagnostic imaging service from an MRI (magnetic resonance imaging) at a different location. Through the MRI, they found the following: After my orthopedic […]

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Family

Psychology sociology

How to Get Your Kids to Help with Chores

It has been said that parenting is the hardest job you will ever love, and I agree. The moment my sons were born, I fell in love with them and made their little lives my priority. From making tough decisions like when to potty train to whether we send them to a private kindergarten through […]

Blog

Family

Pets

How to Potty Train Puppies

When I was first born, my mom and I lived in an upper flat in Detroit where we could not have animals. When I was two years old, we moved, and my grandparents bought me a puppy for my birthday – her name was Princess. At that time, my mom had to do all the […]

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Health

Medical

How to Taper off a Medication

In cooperation with my son’s psychiatrist, his pediatrician, myself as the parent he lives with 100% of the time, and per his request as a maturing sixteen-year-old young man, we are tapering him off his medication. It is a mood stabilizer, yet for his purposes, it was prescribed by his neurologist to control his motor […]