Recent Posts

Long-Distance Caregiving Tips

Long-Distance Caregiving Tips

So, your elderly parent(s) lives over three hours from you and you’re more than a bit worried about their well-being.  Don’t feel like the Lone Ranger.  34 million Americans are the primary caregivers for an elderly parent and, of that number, over 5 million live 

Cool Ways to Stay Cool During the Dog Days of Summer

Cool Ways to Stay Cool During the Dog Days of Summer

What the heck are the “dog days” of summer and where did that term originate?  Well, avid readers, I am not only paid exorbitant amounts of money to write these blogs, I am also expected to do a bit of research too.  The term comes 

Summer Fun WITHOUT the Kids

Summer Fun WITHOUT the Kids

If you remember, valued readers, last week we discussed some ideas for summer fun WITH the kids, which goes a long way to explain the topic of this week’s post.  As a father of two tween boys (yes, “tween” is a new, 21st century life 

Summer Fun with the Kids

Summer Fun with the Kids

That’s correct, summer fun WITH the kids.  It is possible.  Although, the topic of my next post will be summer fun WITHOUT the kids (boy, that was a hell of a teaser, wasn’t it?).  Anyway, if left to their own devices, most kids will spend 

Parental Summer Survival Tips

Parental Summer Survival Tips

Well, by now, if you have school-aged children, your family should be well into its summer vacation and all the chaos and boredom that comes with it.  The “get up, get ready for school, go to school, attend after-school activities, then eat dinner routine”, as 

Often Overlooked Vacation Spots

Often Overlooked Vacation Spots

When it comes to vacation spots within America, sure, you can look at Orlando, the beaches of Southern California, Washington D.C., various amusement parks like Six Flags and Cedar Point, or just about any major city, but those places can be overcrowded, expensive tourist traps.  

Awesome 4th of July Yard Decorating Ideas

Awesome 4th of July Yard Decorating Ideas

Before we discuss these “awesome” decorating ideas, please allow me to pontificate for a moment.  It seems from my vantage point that our “patriotic” holidays (the Fourth, Memorial Day, Veteran’s Day) have melded into a giant mélange of red, white and blue.  We seem to 

Senior Rules for a Safe and Happy Summer

Senior Rules for a Safe and Happy Summer

Of course, the seniors to which I refer in the title are those of the “well-aged” variety rather than those who are about to enter their last year of high school or college.  As discussed in too much detail in my last post, summer in 

A MagicKitchen.com Fourth of July Story

A MagicKitchen.com Fourth of July Story

George and Martha were in no mood to host yet another Fourth of July barbecue at their suburban Virginia home they liked to call Mount Vermin (when they first moved in they had a slight mouse problem and the humorous name stuck).  The patriotic couple 

Start a New Tradition with a Summer Solstice BBQ

Start a New Tradition with a Summer Solstice BBQ

As always, let’s start this post with some topical background information regarding the upcoming summer solstice…I figure it’s not needed for a barbeque. Many people consider the summer solstice to be the start of summer while some in the northern hemisphere refer to it as