How to Stop Stressing and Start Thriving as a Single Mom

Regardless of how or why you've become a single parent, it's an incredible blessing to have a child you can love and raise. Married for 26 years, I never expected to become a mom flying solo with eight kids, but life happens. I learned many valuable lessons when I went from married-with-children to single-working-mom juggling an entirely new lifestyle. Here are five life-changing ways to embrace your role as a single parent and tips for achieving them.

Accept your single-parent circumstances

After 26 years of marriage, I found myself facing the terrifying prospect of being a single mom. I'd been a stay-at-home mom for the majority of that time, so not only was I facing a new lifestyle without a partner living under the same roof, but I was also physically caring for my eight kids mostly by myself. Not the turn I thought my parenting journey would take!

I had two choices—sink or swim. Thankfully, I love the water.

I chose to accept where I was in my life and parent from a place of love, not fear. Though it wasn't what I had envisioned when I started my parenting journey, caring for my family in a new realm was my greatest priority. After all, my kids didn't choose this, so it was up to me to make their new circumstances as comfortable as I could. And that started with acknowledging and accepting those circumstances, myself.

How to achieve it

Feel the emotion of your pain and loss and let it strengthen you. Our past pain is a part of our journey. 

The most important part of pain is rejecting the victimhood status. Don't focus on what has already happened, and don't be tempted to ask 'why me,' instead focus on the power you have at this very moment and where it could take you tomorrow.

Mohadesa Najumi, Three Surprising Reasons Why Emotional Pain Is Power

...

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Beware the Dark Triad in Your Relationship

We've all had our share of relationships we regret. There was the one that went on too long because we were afraid of change. Maybe one where there was a lot of chemistry but it turned out you were on opposite sides of a political issue that was a deal-breaker. Or you clicked well, but they just couldn’t get along with your family. These are common relationship missteps we can chalk up to life’s lemons, and usually there’s not much harm done other than temporarily hurt feelings and a sense of having wasted time.

If you find yourself feeling like this in a relationship, chances are good that your partner has some personality traits in the dark triad.

But then there are relationships that are darker. They perhaps start out passionately or even lovingly, but somehow, there’s an insidious slide into a different dynamic that doesn’t feel right. You wake up one day to find yourself feeling unsafe, unloved, uncertain, or like you’ve totally lost your sense of self. If you find yourself feeling like this in a relationship, chances are good that your partner has some personality traits in the dark triad. Today, we'll talk about what these personality traits are and what relationship patterns they portend.

The dark triad

The dark triad refers to three types of personality profiles that all spell trouble for relationships—psychopathy, Machiavellianism, and narcissism. Psychologists Paulhus and Williams coined the term in 2002 when they found that these three personalities tend to run together.

Machiavellianism

Niccolò Machiavelli was a 15th century Italian politician famous for advising rulers to use deception and deviousness to maintain power. Nowadays, his name is synonymous with a person who schemes and manipulates people. People with this trait are strategic in their relationships, associating with people they can use to get more social status, wealth, or other things for their own gain.

In a self-report questionnaire of the dark triad personality traits, items for measuring Machiavellianism include:

• "It’s wise to keep track of information that you can use against people later"
• "Whatever it takes, you must get the important people on your side"
• "I use insincere flattery to get my way"

Think of the way Lindsay Lohan’s character in Mean Girls faked bullying evidence in the Burn Book to get her rivals into trouble.

...

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Explained: The Adrenaline-Driven Rise of GameStop Stock

GameStop, a dying video game retailer, has risen to all-time highs in the stock market. How did it happen?

A few weeks ago, the company (stock trading as ticker: GME) traded around lows of ~$19. As of January 27th, 2021, the GameStop stock has reached an all-time high of $350. That’s a ~1700% increase! Currently, GameStop’s market capitalization is $24 billion, previously $500-$700 million.

Before its meteoric rise, GameStop was on a slow decline into bankruptcy.

Before its meteoric rise, GameStop was on a slow decline into bankruptcy as it faced significant challenges to its business model from the internet similar to BlockBuster. People stopped buying video games in-person at retail stores. “Downloads became a thing, and GameStop’s business declined,” says Michael Pachter to BusinessInsider, who covers the video game industry.

Alongside GameStop’s faltering business model, GameStop also ran into issues with its poor business decisions. They embarked on new initiatives, including the acquisition of Spring Mobile in 2013. The company had bet on making money by buying smartphone stores. By 2016, GameStop had owned and operated approximately 1,500 mobile-phone stores under the Spring Mobile name, and in 2018, had sold the whole mobile-phone business.

So how did GameStop rise from the ashes?

Stock trading euphoria caused by …

An army of traders from the Reddit r/WallStreetBets has been at the center of the GameStop saga. WallStreetBets (WSB), a community of millennial and Gen Z traders, have helped drive a to-the-moon surge of GameStock’s stock price while halting trading multiple times, crashing Reddit, and even forcing the subreddit to go private. With 3.5 million traders following the subreddit, WSB users are known for purchasing extremely risky products, including leveraged ETFs, financial call and put options, as well as shorting equities.

No one expected a group of online traders...

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6 Latin Abbreviations You Should Know

Latin is at the root of many of our words in English, and there are some common abbreviations we use that you may not realize also come from the Latin language.

For example, you've heard me talk about AM and PM, or “ante meridiem” and “post meridiem,” which refer to the time of day. (And note I said meridiEM, not meridiAN.) “Ante meridiem” means before the midday, and “post meridiem” means after the midday.

We've also talked about the difference between "e.g." (or "exempli gratia") which means "for example" or "for instance” and "i.e." (or "id est"), which means "that is" or "in other words." It's not uncommon to confuse the two terms, so just remember this simple mnemonic: "Example" and "e.g." start with the same letter, and "in other words" and "i.e." also start with the same letter.

So what are a few other Latin abbreviations that we use?

BC/AD or BCE/CE

Let’s start with the eras, BC and AD, or BCE and CE.

We use “BC” and “AD” in many parts of the world to show whether a time happened before or after the believed birth of Jesus Christ. It's the current date that began approximately 2,020 years ago in the Gregorian calendar.

"AD" is the abbreviation of "anno Domini," which is Latin for "in the year of the Lord." "Anno" meaning "year," which is where we also get the words "annual" and "anniversary," and "Domini," which means "the Lord." 

"AD" does not mean "after death," which is a common misconception (but is also a decent way to remember what it represents).

Surprisingly, "BC" actually doesn't mean anything in Latin, it just means "before Christ." It refers to anything that happened before AD 1.

If you want to avoid religious terms in your writing, or you're writing for an audience that doesn't use the BC/AD eras, then you can use “CE” instead. “CE” isn’t Latin either; it just means "Common Era." Similarly, you would use “BCE” to mean "Before the Common Era."

Believe it or not, the term "CE" is not new. It has been traced back to 1615 and a book by German astronomer Johannes Kepler—yes, the...

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'Imply' Versus 'Infer'

 

Mixing up “imply” and “infer” is a common mistake, so let’s get it right:

The short answer is that writers or speakers imply, and listeners or readers infer. 

Imply

When you imply, you hint at something rather than saying it directly. “Imply” comes from a Latin word that meant “to enfold.” You can think of an implied statement as hidden or folded into what was actually said. For example, a writer can imply that a character is the murderer without saying it directly.

It turns out that the word “employ,” as in to use something or hire someone, comes from the same root.

Writers or speakers imply. Listeners or readers infer. 

Infer

When you infer, you deduce some meaning that was left unsaid. “Infer” comes from a Latin word that means “to bring in.” You can think of readers or listeners using their own interpretation to bring a meaning that isn’t explicitly stated into a sentence. For example, a reader who sees that a character has motive and opportunity may infer that the character is the murderer.

The incorrect use of “infer” to mean “imply” is so common that in a decade or so it may be considered standard, but for now, careful writers and speakers continue to make a distinction.

How to remember ‘imply’ versus ‘infer’

Here’s how I remember that to imply is to hint, to say something indirectly. 

First, I remember that “imply” rhymes with “employ” and they come from the same root.

Then I think of those seemingly useless suggestion boxes that you sometimes see in workplaces so employees can suggest something. 

And then I think of the related word, “imply,” meaning that the writer is suggesting something without actually saying it. To imply is to hint at something or to suggest it without saying it directly. So in a roundabout way, an employee suggestion box helps me remember that “imply” means to suggest something instead of saying it directly.

Examples

Imply

But the fact that some geniuses were laughed at does not imply that all who are laughed at are geniuses. They laughed at Columbus, they laughed at Fulton, they laughed at the Wright brothers. But they also laughed at Bozo the Clown. — Carl Sagan

I would not wish to imply that most industrial accidents...

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5 Websites to Help Educate About the Horrors of the Holocaust

Whenever there’s an analysis or discussion about how much people know about the Holocaust, the focus is often on what they don’t know.

For instance, a 2018 survey of 1,350 people age 18 and older found that 11% of U.S. adults and 22% of millennials had not heard of – or were not sure if they had heard of – the Holocaust.

Almost half of U.S. adults – 45% – and millennials – 49% – could not name one concentration camp or ghetto that was established in Europe during the Holocaust, the survey found.

Today’s students may be more apt to find a Hitler meme online before they discover testimonies of Holocaust survivors.

The survey also showed how there’s an overwhelming lack of personal connections to the Holocaust. Most Americans – 80% – had never visited a Holocaust museum and two-thirds – 66% – did not know, or know of, a Holocaust survivor. A significant majority of American adults believed that fewer people care about the Holocaust today than before.

As troublesome as these statistics may be in terms of what they show about how little people know about the Holocaust, there’s another aspect to Holocaust knowledge that often goes overlooked.

And that is, at a time when the Holocaust has “taken on a virtual dimension” and images from the horrific era are prevalent online, there is now a risk of what author Gavriel Rosenberg refers to as the “normalization” of the Nazi past in contemporary culture.

Desensitization

As the number of Holocaust survivors continues to dwindle, today’s students may be more apt to find a Hitler meme online before they discover testimonies of Holocaust survivors.

Rosenberg argues that this normalization of the Holocaust will downplay its horrific nature. In some cases, people have seemingly taken to celebrating the Holocaust. For instance, at the Jan. 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol, one participant wore a “Camp Auschwitz” hoodie – a macabre acknowledgment of the most infamous of the Nazi concentration and death camps.

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17 Natural Remedies to Get Rid of Acne and Pimples

Little bit of lemon (or vinegar)

To help clear out clogged pores, simply dab some lemon juice right on your pimples. The acid will help dissolve the oil that keeps them around. You can also use vinegar, but lemon juice smells nicer!

An aspirin a day keeps acne away

Did you know that the bottle of aspirin you’ve got at the back of your medicine cabinet is a powerful pimple popper? Aspirin is an anti-inflammatory drug, and its active ingredient is similar to salicylic acid, which is used to treat acne. To harness aspirin’s anti-acne properties, simply crush up a tablet or two and combine with enough water to make a paste. Apply it to the blemish and allow the paste to dry, then rinse off with cool water. Your skin will look great, and you won’t have had to spend an extra cent for a fancy pimple cream!

Obviously, avoid using aspirin to treat acne if you’re allergic!

Milk of magnesia mask

On the off chance you don’t have any aspirin around, you can also try using milk of magnesia. (Yes, the same stuff used to treat constipation or upset stomach.) Just dab it on affected skin like a mask. Allow to dry, then rinse it off with warm water. Not only does milk of magnesia absorb excess oil, but the zinc it contains also helps heal pimples.

Chamomile–witch hazel toner

For acne-prone skin, try this antioxidant-rich toner. Brew a strong cup of chamomile tea, allowing the bag to steep for five minutes or more. Allow the tea to cool, and mix in an equal amount of witch hazel, a powerful astringent that can be found at most drugstores. Apply the toner to clean skin with a cotton ball and rinse after 10 minutes. The leftovers can be stored in the refrigerator for several weeks.

Special blackhead buster

For blackheads, mix together 2 tablespoons salt and 2 tablespoons lime juice. Spread the paste onto skin and allow to dry, then rinse off with warm water. This wonderful smelling toner will prevent acne, get rid of blackheads, and tighten your pores!

RELATED: 4 Common Skin Problems and How to Deal

Banana peels for pimples

As we shared in our post on the many uses of a banana peel, you can rub the pulpy side of the peel right on your face to help get rid of pimples.

Acne attacker

Got a pimple problem? Don’t head to the skincare aisle of the drugstore just yet—not only are those treatments costly, they also contain tons of chemicals that your skin does not need. Instead,...

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How to Cope with Money Worries: Advice from a Psychologist

Money troubles can be difficult to talk about because they stir up intense emotions, such as guilt, anxiety, and fear. But they’re too important to ignore for both your financial and mental health.

Whether you have a friend or family member dealing with a financial problem or your own money challenges, it’s a sensitive topic. I interviewed Dr. Jade Wu, a clinical psychologist specializing in health psychology, for tips to help manage money worries. Jade also hosts QDT's Savvy Psychologist podcast, where she uses evidence-based research to helps listeners be happier and healthier.

On the Money Girl podcast, Jade and I discuss a variety of topics, including:

• How to use empathy and open-ended questions in financial discussions
• The importance of creating a safe space when talking about money
• Why accomplishing a small financial step is a worthy goal
• How to evaluate your own emotions before starting a money conversation
• Whether you’re helping or enabling someone by lending money
• How to ask others for financial help when you need it
• Tips to get better sleep even when you're worried about money

[Listen to the interview using the embedded audio player or on Apple Podcasts, SoundCloud, Stitcher, and Spotify]

When the worry window closes, do your best to move on with your day and stop worrying.

One of my favorite tips that Jade recommends is to use a “worry window”—giving yourself a set time, such as 30 minutes each day, when you allow yourself to dwell on your money problems. When the worry window closes, do your best to move on with your day and stop worrying. 

It’s also helpful to have a list of financial worries that are and are not in your control. When you fixate on...

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17 Things You Didn't Know Essential Oils Could Do

Cleaning up

Amazing dusting spray

Prefer to have your dust and shine solution in spray form? Save the cost of (and chemicals in) commercial sprays! We recommend mixing in a spray bottle 1 cup water, ¼ cup vinegar, 2 teaspoons olive oil, and 10 drops lemon essential oil.

Microwave cleaning made easy

With all the use they get, microwaves can get grimy fast. Time for freshening up? Soak a sponge in water until it’s completely saturated, then set it in the microwave. In a spray bottle, mix 1 to 2 drops of lemon essential oil per ounce of water. Spray the mixture all over the inside of your microwave. Run the microwave on high for 2 to 3 minutes. The steam will help release the built-up dirt. Once the sponge is cool, you can use it to easily wipe down the interior and exterior of the microwave.

Another approach: In a microwavable bowl, combine ½ cup vinegar and 1 cup water. (You can also add a few drops of lemon juice, if you like.) Microwave for 3 to 5 minutes, then let sit for a few minutes while the steam goes to work. Either way, your microwave will be fresh and clean again!

Floor cleaning made easy

Grimy wood floors calling for a slightly stronger cleaner? No need to turn to toxic cleaners! Here’s another DIY solution: In a clean milk jug, add ¼ cup vinegar, ½ cup liquid castile soap, and 30 drops of a citrus essential oil (try lemon or orange). Secure the lid on the jug and shake to mix. When you’re ready to mop, simply add 1 cup of the solution to 1 gallon of hot water in a bucket.

For your body

Homemade vapors

VapoRub can be a lifesaver for late-night congestion. Here’s a do-it-yourself version that has all of the benefits without any of the chemicals: Mix ¼ cup melted beeswax (available online, in health stores, or from honey purveyors) with 1 cup olive oil, 15 drops eucalyptus essential oil, and 10 drops peppermint essential oil. Pour into a small container to cool. (You may need to reheat when reusing.)

Get growing

Looking for a natural solution to thinning hair? Here’s a terrific scalp massage that stimulates blood flow in the hair follicles and may spur hair growth. Mix 5 drops lavender essential oil, 5 drops bay essential oil, and 3 tablespoons almond or grapeseed oil. Massage a small amount into the scalp every day, and leave for 15 to 20...

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Beating Type 2 Diabetes with Beneficial Bacteria

In Type 2 diabetes, the body's ability to regulate blood sugar levels is gradually degraded. The condition typically develops in mid-life but is sometimes seen in children or young adults. If left unchecked, Type 2 diabetes (which affects about 1 in 10 Americans) can lead to a host of disfiguring and even deadly consequences: blindness, loss of limbs, kidney failure, heart disease, and even premature death. 

Restoring the body's ability to deal with blood sugar naturally would be far preferable to treating it for the rest of your life with drugs.

Accordingly, a lot of time and money is spent screening and treating people for the disease. Metformin, a drug used to lower high blood sugar, is the fourth most commonly prescribed drug in the U.S. But of course, restoring the body's ability to deal with blood sugar naturally would be far preferable to treating it for the rest of your life with drugs.

Doctors screen for Type 2 diabetes by testing your fasting blood glucose levels. A reading of 99 mg/dL is considered normal. A reading between 100 and 125 is considered pre-diabetes and a fasting blood sugar over 125 signals Type 2 diabetes.

Although diabetes can lead to severe complications, it is largely asymptomatic in its early phases. An elevated blood glucose reading is usually the first indication of trouble. At that point, it's sometimes possible to turn things around with diet and lifestyle modifications. Losing weight (if you need to), getting more exercise, and eating a healthy diet can help you restore your body's ability to process carbohydrates.

Type 1 diabetes is a completely different disease in which the body's immune system attacks the pancreas. Although the consequences of poorly controlled Type 1 diabetes are similar to those of Type 2 diabetes, it cannot be prevented or treated with diet and lifestyle modification. Type 1 diabetics will always require insulin.

Eating sugar does not give you diabetes

We used to think that eating too much sugar would eventually result in developing Type 2 diabetes—a sort of "if-you-keep-making-that-face-it'll-freeze-that-way" comeuppance for dietary indiscretions. But eating a lot of sugar does not increase your risk of Type 2 diabetes unless it leads to obesity, which does increase your risk.  

However, Type 2 diabetes also develops in people who are not overweight. A family history of Type 2 diabetes increases your risk. Your risk also goes up with age.  

Recent research into the microbiome has revealed another interesting clue: People with Type 2 diabetes tend to have a different array of bacteria in their guts. Among other things, they seem to have a scarcity of the type of...

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Exercise and Your Immune System: Interview with Dr. Jake Deutsch

In a previous Get-Fit Guy episode called Should You Exercise While Sick, I looked at how it can be hard to do much of anything when you're feeling under the weather. I also took a brief look at whether there are benefits to exercising while sick, or if working out just makes you feel worse.

Well, in this article and podcast episode, I am going to revisit some of those topics and take a deeper look at some other aspects of exercise and illness with a special guest expert, Dr. Jake Deutsch.

Dr. Jake Deutsch is board-certified in Emergency Medicine and the co-founder of Cure Urgent Care in New York City. He attended the University of Massachusetts Medical School and currently holds privileges in the Mount Sinai Health System.

Prior to founding Cure Urgent Care, he practiced emergency medicine at Hackensack Medical Center and was ranked highest in patient care and satisfaction more than a few times. With over 15 years of urgent care experience, Dr. Deutsch is a highly skilled practitioner dedicated to keeping patients happy and healthy.

Dr. Deutsch is also very active on social media with tons of followers on Instagram (where one look will tell you that this is a doctor who knows how to stay fit.) He also regularly appears on several American television networks as a trusted medical source. Recently, he partnered with Zicam to help people get better sooner this cold season.

Cold season concerns

An online survey of 2,000 Americans (described in this press release) showed that people have seen this cold season as different from past cold seasons. More than 50% said they were researching how to be better prepared for the upcoming cold season compared to prior cold seasons, and nearly a quarter (23.48%) reported that they're responsibly stocking up on remedies.

With his facilities seeing more than 4,500 patients every month, Dr. Deutsch truly understands the internal struggle between acknowledging symptoms and taking initiative versus simply "riding it out." Given the ever-present confusion between cold, flu, and allergy symptoms, Dr. Deutsch wants people to understand how to recognize sneezes, sore throats, and coughs and jump into action at the first sign of a cold.

And responding to a cold includes tailoring your workout and exercise program!

RELATED: A Cold vs. the...

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How to Use Rejection to Your Advantage

My dad has this adorable habit of throwing his back out. It happens a few times a year, laying him up and leaving him in agony.

So, when he called me last week to report his latest dalliance with back pain, I attempted to brighten his day with some silver-lining-thinking. “Well,” I said, “at least you’re not missing out on anything this time around. Your whole world is in quarantine!”

He responded with a growl. Which led emotionally intelligent me to conclude that maybe this wasn’t the moment for silver linings. Sometimes you just want to stew in self-pity.

But sometimes the silver lining is the thing. And I will stand on the side of insisting that something that may feel painful in the moment can actually be a good thing, or at least a not-so-catastrophic one. And rejection is one of those things.

There is scientific research that shows we may experience the pain of rejection as real physical pain.

Rejection—not getting the job, not getting support for your idea, not getting the raise—leaves a gaping maw of a wound when it happens. And it’s not just in your mind. There is scientific research that shows we may experience the pain of rejection as real physical pain.

But if you can lick your wounds efficiently, there really is good to be found in rejection. You just need to harness its power and use it to your advantage.  

Let’s talk about how you can do this.

1. Separate YOU from the thing you wanted 

There’s an expression I love that goes “You can’t fit a round peg in a square hole.” A round peg presumably serves an important purpose. It just doesn’t fit in a square hole. 

The same logic applies to most professional moments of rejection.

When you’re faced with a “no,” start by recognizing it was not a rejection of you the person.

If you didn’t get the job, likely it means the fit just wasn’t right. Possibly a different skill or set of experiences was required for the role. Maybe a candidate with more years of leadership or knowledge of a particular program or system turned up. Their experience doesn’t invalidate yours, it just aligned better with that particular opportunity.

When you’re faced with a “no,” start by recognizing it was not a rejection of you the person. It was a matter of fit. You just need to focus on finding that square hole.

2. Get meaningful feedback

Sometimes rejection comes to you as a form letter or...

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How Scanners and Screeners Can Revolutionize Your Trading

If you invest in stocks then you already know that it is a great way to put money aside where it will work for you. But if you want to take your strategy to the next level, then you need to be looking at technology to take the strain.

When you consider that the NASDAQ and NYSE have upwards of 7,000 stocks listed, you may wonder how anyone can efficiently identify good targets.

Don’t worry if you aren’t a committed full-time day trader; these apps work just as well for the part-time investor who is looking to put away a few hundred dollars into good quality companies.

The good news is that by using a scanner or screener app, you can quickly find stocks that fall into your investing plan and snap up those bargains early.

Don’t worry if you aren’t a committed full-time day trader; these apps work just as well for the part-time investor who is looking to put away a few hundred dollars into good quality companies.

Scanner and screeners—what’s the difference?

Sometimes people will blur the lines between scanners and screeners.  It is important to understand the difference because each are useful for different situations.

A stock screener is a filtering mechanism that will look at a market and filter out stocks that don’t fit your particular strategy.

For example, perhaps you only want NYSE traded stocks, in utility companies, with high trading volumes that have shown a 5% increase over the last week.

A good stock screener will give you a list of the companies that fit your criteria in seconds, providing you with targets to investigate further.

For most modern screener apps, the list of criteria you can choose is almost endless. This gives you the power to spot the type of company stocks you want to buy with pinpoint accuracy.

Stock screeners are one of the first types of apps for investors devised for the internet age. They are designed for people who might log on once a day, download a series of longer-term targets, and then do their research.

In general terms, stock screeners tend to be quite light on resources, which means that you can use them on pretty much any computer or device.

Screeners are great for investors as they give you targets to look for based on a series of attributes. However, they tend not to be used as much by day traders — for that, you need a good stock scanner.

Stock scanners may look similar to screeners but they are quite different. These apps are more useful for active day traders...

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25 Things You Might Not Know About the Birds in Your Backyard

Humans are very preoccupied with flight. We've spent decades and billions of dollars refining air travel; we often dream about flying without the aid of technology. It's little wonder many of us find ourselves fascinated with birds, who make the act seem so effortless. We thought we'd take a closer look at some facts behind our avian friends.

1. Some birds have a curious desire to cover themselves in ants.

While we know a lot about birds, we don’t always understand their motivations. One example: “anting,” or the practice of covering themselves in living or dead ants. Cardinals are prone to the practice, allowing ants to crawl around their bodies or stuffing ant corpses into their feathers. One theory is that the formic acid secreted by the insects helps rid birds of lice; ants may also help clean up dried oils leftover from preening. If ants aren't handy, birds have also been known to use cigarette butts, beetles, and coffee.

2. Some hummingbirds weigh less than a penny.

Most people realize hummingbirds are pretty slight of stature: Their tiny bodies allow them to take flight quickly. While there are over 300 types of hummingbirds, the smallest species, the Bee hummingbird, weighs in at just 2 grams—.5 grams less than a U.S. penny.

3. Woodpeckers peck with purpose.

Contrary to what cartoons may have taught you, woodpeckers don’t drill into trees for the sole purpose of annoying humans. Acorn woodpeckers use their beaks to hollow out wood structures so they can store acorns, almonds, hazelnuts, and other sustenance.

4. Birds will attack their reflections.

Birds have been known to tap on residential windows. It’s not to get your attention: Many migratory birds looking to put down roots for the warmer months get territorial. When they see themselves reflected in a window, they can mistake it for a rival bird and begin pecking. Some homeowners put up anti-reflective material to prevent birds from pestering themselves.

...

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How to Stop Struggling with Your Teen: 4 Practical Tips

If the teen in your life is giving you angst, don't fret. These four practical tips can help you redirect your teen's negative ways.

Set firm boundaries and impose consequences

Most kids have one thing in common, they crave structure and routines, and that includes teens! When kids are younger, if they know what to expect throughout the day, they're better able to cope with rules because they know what's expected of them. If you're dealing with a disrespectful teen or one who feels it's OK to break the rules, it's time to reestablish firm boundaries.  

Include your teenager in the setting of your boundaries. Making him a part of the conversation will help him understand why you've set your boundaries so he has a clear path to follow. For example, respect is something I hold in high regard in our family. It's essential that my kids don't mock, roll their eyes, belittle, or use backtalk when I'm communicating with them. Likewise, they know they can expect the same from me in return. If my son does get flippant when I'm explaining why he can't borrow my car for a weekend ski trip with his friends, he's testing the boundaries we've agreed on. And that means there'll be consequences for him.

There's no point in having a boundary without a consequence. QDT's former Savvy Psychologist, Dr. Ellen Hendriksen, shared three helpful tips for imposing practical consequences:

• Choose a consequence that motivates him. If hanging out with his friends after practice is something he enjoys, losing this privilege for a week would be more upsetting than taking his cell phone away.
   
• Add an incentive for adhering to the rule. Put a carrot on the end of your behavior stick! If your teen knows that positive actions on his part may yield a reward, he'll have more reason to stay on task. Dr. Hendriksen recommends including your teen in the conversation so he can tell you what incentives would be meaningful to him.
   
• Write it all down! Write your...

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5 Tips for Picking the Perfect Paint Palette

Keeping track of paint colors

If you’ve tried saving your paint swatches in the past and can never find them when you need them, try this simple trick: Write the name and type of paint you used for each room under the light switch plate. That way, you’ll know where the info is when you need it.

RELATED: Domestic CEO's 9 Unique Wall Décor Ideas

Glass pieces

Your friend has some leftover paint, but you’re not sure what it will look like when it dries. To find out, try this simple trick: Paint a piece of glass (a microscope slide works well, if you have one), then look at the color from the non-painted side. It will reflect what the dried color will look like.

Don’t let your white paint yellow

When painting walls and ceilings white, it’s best to add several drops of black paint into each can of white. Why? The paint will cover with fewer coats, and be more reflective. Many experts say it will also cause the paint to yellow less quickly.

SEE MORE: Who Knew's What Should You Do With Leftover Paint?

Make your own swatch book

When painting your house, it’s always a good idea to keep track of paint colors—you may need them to match future paint jobs or to help you coordinate other items in the house. Create swatches by dipping a 3-by-5-inch index card into your paint can and writing down the details.

Opt for “Oops Paint”

...

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'Conscience' Versus 'Conscious'

 

I don’t know about you, but I always have to think for a second when I’m trying to write the words “conscious” and “conscience.” So I finally came up with a Quick and Dirty Tip to help me get it right.

First, let’s do the definitions.

Conscious

You are conscious when you are awake and conscious of something when you are aware of it. I like this quotation from the novelist Aldous Huxley:

Happiness is not achieved by the conscious pursuit of happiness; it is generally the by-product of other activities.

Conscience

On the other hand, your conscience tells you the difference between right and wrong. You have something on your conscience when you feel guilty. Leaders sometimes ask politicians to vote their conscience. I like this quotation from the newspaper columnist Doug Larson:

A lot of people mistake a short memory for a clear conscience.

Quick and Dirty Tip

Here’s how I remember the spelling of “conscience.” 

The word “conscience” ends with “science”—S-C-I-E-N-C-E—even though it’s not pronounced that way. So picture Albert Einstein—a physicist and mathematician who was interested in both science and philosophy—sitting on your shoulder and prodding you to do the right thing. The man of science appeals to your conscience. 

That works for me every time, so I hope it works for you.

Arkady Mazor / Shutterstock.com

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5 Ways to Be Financially Secure

For many, the dream of being financially secure is nothing more than a mirage. This is mainly because a common misconception equates financial security with having a million dollars in the bank. While having a hefty bank balance does not hurt, it is only part of the story.

Many top earners are learning this the hard way recently, as the economic uncertainty has left them on the hook for expenses they can no longer afford to pay.  However, this does not have to happen to you: here are five ways to be financially secure.

When considering how to become financially secure, your priority must be to ensure that you have enough income to cover your expenses. If you cannot pass this hurdle, then you should reconsider your lifestyle. Granted, this might be harder for some people, but even if you can put away $10 per week, this will help you to have the emergency funds you need to weather times of uncertainty, such as the COVID pandemic.

Step 1: Develop good habits

Managing your finances requires discipline, which means that you need to have good habits, as this is the only way that you can keep yourself from falling into traps. One way to do this is to keep your credits cards at home when you leave the house, as this will keep you from splurging on impulse buys. You might also want to think about getting a separate bank account for your daily spending needs, because this will limit the funds available to you at any given time.

Having good spending habits means that you need to be disciplined. However, if there is a large expense that makes sense and you have planned for it, then you should consider making it.

Another healthy financial habit is to always do your due diligence. For example, according to reverse mortgage expert Michael G. Branson, you can leverage the existing value of a property you own as a senior citizen with a reverse mortgage—but that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t research the pros and cons. Anytime you take out a loan (whether it’s a mortgage loan, personal loan, or a payday loan), open a new credit card, or finance a new car, always look at the fine print. Pay particular attention to interest rates, penalties, annual fees, and APR.

Step 2: Leave your car at home

Or better yet, sell your car. This is especially true if you are living in a city or a town where all your daily needs can be filled from shops...

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Parasomnias: 6 Truly Creepy Things that Can Happen While You Sleep

In 1833 in Springfield, Massachusetts, a young servant woman named Jane began to attract attention from the foremost medical experts of the time. She was a sleepwalker. And her sleepwalking was extraordinary—she would get out of bed and complete full sets of chores like setting the table and arranging clothes. One witness even saw her thread a needle, sew a cloth bag, and use the bag to cook a piece of meat in a boiling pot of water ... all in the dark, while she was asleep.

Sadly, Jane’s strange symptoms landed her in an insane asylum. The eminent doctors tried all sorts of tinctures, medicines, and even leeching, but her sleepwalking was never cured. She eventually convinced her doctors to give up on her and she was able to go back to living a quiet life.

But Jane wasn’t the first or the last sleepwalker to capture the public's morbid curiosity. In 1987, a Canadian man named Kenneth Parks drove 14 miles to his in-laws’ home and killed his mother-in-law with a tire iron. Covered in blood, he went straight to the nearest police station to confess. He claimed that he was asleep during this whole event, and a later sleep study showed that his brain activity was indeed very abnormal. Ultimately, the jury found him to be innocent of murder. Since then, a few dozen homicide cases have hinged on the “sleepwalking” defense.

What are parasomnias?

"Parasomnias" is a term that covers a range of sleep disorders and disturbances from common occurrences to the truly bizarre.

The extreme sleepwalking events I described are very rare—you're incredibly unlikely to thread a needle or commit homicide in your sleep. In fact, sleepwalking homicides are extremely rare, and there’s still doubt as to whether sleepwalking is really what happened in those cases.

But sleepwalking to some degree is surprisingly common, and so are other parasomnias. Let's take a look at some different parasomnias and talk about what you can do about them.

Sleepwalking (somnambulism)

Sleepwalking’s medical name is “somnambulism.” If you’ve ever woken up and found yourself outside your bed, with no idea how you got there, you may have experienced it. You may even have woken up to find yourself looking at a half-eaten cake, in the middle of the phone conversation, or even driving. That’s why sleepwalking isn’t just spooky for onlookers, it can actually be dangerous!

More than half of adult sleepwalkers...

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Why Is It Called a Sea ‘Shanty’?

When it comes to popular music, we’re used to hip-hop, indie rock, and even K-pop topping the charts. 

But we really didn’t expect the newest trend to be a genre that was out of fashion 150 years ago. 

Yes, the hot tunes of the moment are … sea shanties.

What is a sea shanty?

Sea shanties are songs that sailors sung while they worked. Sailors sang shanties as they worked pumps up and down, removing water from the hold of the ship. They sang shanties as they heaved on the heavy ropes that dragged a new sail into place. They sang shanties as they sanded the decks in the earliest hours of the morning, or turned the capstan that pulled the heavy iron anchor up from the ocean floor.

Whatever the task, it was hard, and it was done by hand. And it often had to be done rhythmically. It wouldn’t do if half the men sheeting a sail into place pulled on a rope, while the other half relaxed. Everyone had to pull together; reset their hands higher on the rope; and then pull again.

Singing a shanty was an effective way to keep men working in synch. To keep everyone in time, the singing was led by a “shantyman.” He would sing a brief verse, and the sailors would follow with a chorus, often giving their greatest push or pull on the chorus’s ending word. Here’s an example that makes fun of Napoleon Bonaparte, whom British sailors called “Old Boney.” (2)

Shantyman: Boney was a warrior,
Crew: Way, hey, ya!
Shantyman: A warrior and a terrier,
Crew: Jean-François.

Sometimes, the shantyman would improvise his verses, and according to “The Shanty Book: Part I,” “once the improvisation began, things became so intimate and personal as to be unprintable.” (1) For men stuck at sea for months on end, deprived of female company, you can only imagine just how unprintable the lyrics became.

Lewd or not, these songs kept the men entertained through hours of painful labor, relieved their boredom, and kept them pushing or pulling in time.

Sea Shanties + TikTok = ShantyTok

So why are we singing sea shanties today? Blame it on TikTok, the social platform that lets users share short videos, often of themselves singing or dancing.

It seems that one user, a Scottish postman named Nathan Evans, posted a video of himself singing “The Wellerman,” a traditional sea shanty. There’s nothing fancy about the video. It’s Evans, shot in black and white, sitting in a chair, singing. Yet the mysterious force that causes some videos to go viral came over this one.

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5 Tips for Hosting The Perfect Outdoor Workshop

Disclaimer: During the pandemic, please be sure to check local, state, and federal regulations and recommendations for large outdoor gatherings before planning an event.

There are plenty of effective tips for hosting the perfect entertaining outdoor workshop. Many business event planners are looking to host safe, professional gatherings outside. Of course, holding your celebration outside allows you to take advantage of the gorgeous weather, beautiful backdrops, as well as the wide, open spaces. If you are interested in planning a festive outdoor occasion for your company, there are several key tips to keep in mind. To help you get started, read on to learn about the top tips for hosting the perfect outdoor workshop.

Compile your guest list

First and foremost, you will need to plan, compile, and refine your guest list. There are several factors that go into building your list of attendees. As a start, you will need to consider the maximum number of guests that your outdoor venue and forecasted basic event budget can account for. Then, you will need to determine if the venue is able to accommodate any attendees with disabilities. Once you understand these key factors, you can begin to divvy up your list, make some cutting rules, and avoid last minute add-ons. You should always try to be realistic about the number of guests to avoid potential stress later on in the planning process. Assembling your guest list is the perfect first step to prepare for your outdoor workshop.

Plan some workshop activities

Next, you should plan some engaging activities for your outdoor workshop. In order to set up some effective workshop activities, set clear goals, establish a budget, and involve a team of the right people. Then, you can begin planning some engaging team building activities that get your attendees out of their comfort zones and encourage them to learn something new. Naturally, the best workshops provide professional networking opportunities, promote exclusivity, and facilitate teamwork. Moreover, these events can increase collaboration and encourage creativity, which can greatly increase motivation across your team. Preparing some workshop activities is essential for building a high performing team.

Promote your event with a flyer maker

If you are hosting a professional outdoor workshop that is open to everyone on your team, try promoting your event with a flyer maker. Attention-grabbing flyers are an excellent tool to get the word out about whatever you are looking to promote. If you use a...

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Video: How to Have Fun on All Fours with Crawling Exercises

I know, I know. Crawling around on the floor isn't the coolest thing you can do to stay fit. But it is a basic human movement that remains important even after we have successfully learned to walk. Doing some crawling, including crawling exercises like these, promotes and maintains proper movement patterns and challenges our strength and stability. That's why I think these three crawling exercises are a great addition to anyone's exercise program.

Crawling movements in this video:

• Inch Worm
• Bear Crawl
• Crab Walk

The Inch Worm covers all the bases: core, arms, chest, and upper back. This exercise strengthens your anterior chain muscles while stretching your posterior chain muscles. Not a bad combo!

The Bear Crawl strengthens and increases endurance in your arms, shoulders, and chest. They also improve your overall core function and stability

The Crab Walk targets the shoulders and triceps because they are supporting your upper body. Your hamstrings and quads get involved in supporting your lower body. Right in the middle, your abs and glutes work to keep your hips up.

The higher you hold your hips, the more work your core will have to do. So keep 'em high!

Unsure about crawling?

If you are skeptical about whether crawling can be a great form of strength and mobility exercise, check out a football practice. You are likely to see professional football or rugby players crawling on the field during practice. They use this movement to help build lateral strength and the ability to transfer power from the lower body to the upper body.

If you are skeptical about whether crawling can be a great form of strength and mobility exercise, check out a football practice.

You may also have seen soldiers crawling as part of their basic training. As they say, "Keeping low can keep you alive," and I couldn't agree more. 

Including these in your movement and exercise repertoire is not only fun but will help you keep your mobility and stability at their best.

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5 Tips for Celebrating Positivity on National Compliment Day

We’re well into January. The magic of the holidays lingers in our minds, New Year’s resolutions are still a twinkle in our eyes, and best of all, a fresh start for the entire year awaits. While January is full of possibilities, it also hosts a hidden gem of a holiday that not many know to celebrate—National Compliment Day.

January 24 may not be part of Hallmark’s roundup of card-worthy holidays, but in 1998 Kathy Chamberlin (both from New Hampshire) felt a day for compliments would be a unique way to remember to show kindness to others. Now, National Compliment Day is slated for praising and showcasing your heartfelt appreciation to your circle of friends, family, coworkers, and anyone who adds meaning to your life.

Although we shouldn’t need a date on the calendar to prompt us to pay a genuine compliment to those who ought to hear one, it’s a beautiful reminder of how important it is to express positivity and offer honest praise. 

Here are five wholehearted ways to compliment the people in your life.

Be sincere and specific with your compliment

The goal of National Compliment Day is to have your accolade come from the heart. You don’t want to sound insincere and disingenuous. Be specific when you give your compliment, such as commenting on a trait you admire about them. Here's an example.

I’m always so impressed with how passionate you are every time you take on a new project! Your enthusiasm is contagious.

Remember to include your kids and spouse with your praise. It's easy to take those closest to us for granted. Think about the special qualities each of your immediate family members possess and lovingly include them when you're doling out compliments.

Send and "praise" ecard

A fun and personable way to show your gratitude is by sending a custom "epraise" ecard. Baudville.com has a charming assortment of free ecards. Make a list of everyone you’d love to recognize and select as many ecards as you’d like. You can even schedule the date and time of day when you want to send it.

Pick up the phone and call

Verbally showing your appreciation can mean a lot to the person you are complimenting. If you aren’t going to see your friend or coworker on January 24, pick a time when you can call her and let her know you didn’t want the day to go by without letting her know how much you enjoy your friendship. Again, be specific.

Your smile is always so warm and friendly. I love that you always...

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Is It Time to Give up on Fish Oil?

The idea that fish oil and omega-3s are good for your heart has been nutrition orthodoxy for decades. A few dissonant voices have argued that this particular emperor has no clothes. But they have largely been drowned out by the crowd.

Although fish consumption has increased somewhat, most Americans still fall short of the recommended two or more servings of fish per week. And until recently, health experts ranging from Harvard to the American Heart Association have recommended a fish oil supplement for those who aren't eating enough fish, as a way to bridge the gap.

Fish oil supplements are the third most commonly taken nutritional supplement. There have been concerns about possible contaminants in commercial fish oil supplements, as well as the negative effects of over-fishing in order to produce enough fish oil to meet the demand. Even so, the presumed benefits have largely overshadowed these concerns.

But just how firm is the evidence to support taking fish oil supplements?

What's the evidence on fish oil?

Epidemiological studies have found that people who eat more fish and/or take in more omega-3s have lower rates of death from cardiovascular and other diseases. Randomized trials have established that fish oil supplements reduce inflammation and lower triglycerides. But as recently as 2010, authors of a scholarly article on “Fish oil for the Treatment of Cardiovascular Disease” conceded that “The role of omega-3 fatty acids in reducing mortality, sudden death, arrhythmias, myocardial infarction, and heart failure has not yet been established.”

Over the years, trials showing that fish oil supplements do not, in fact, reduce the risk of heart attacks or death have begun to pile up.

That was 2010. Over the years following, trials showing that fish oil supplements did not, in fact, reduce the risk of heart attacks or death began to pile up. In 2018, researchers published the results of a large meta-analysis looking at ten different clinical trials in which people with heart disease (or at high risk of developing it) took either fish oil supplements or a placebo. Overall, they could detect “no significant association with fatal or nonfatal coronary heart disease or any major vascular events” and concluded that there is “no support for current recommendations for the use of such supplements in people with a history of coronary heart...

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7 Income-Producing Assets You Need To Know About

They say that millionaires have 7 streams of income. And most of them are boring. Common examples of income-generating assets include your classics like real estate (rental income, depreciation benefits, equity appreciation) and dividend stocks (dividend income is taxed favorably), which I love.

But every so often, there's one in there that sounds as exciting as going to Vegas and always betting on black.

Today, I want to talk about those obscure investments. Those weird, you only hear about them in the movies, oddball investments that can produce cash flow. I don't want the obscure ones that don't produce cash (invest in whiskey, art, or some other collectible … that just makes you eccentric), these have to produce a stream of income.

Maybe the stock market has you spooked. Maybe you simply have enough in equities.

Maybe you want income but all the income-producing assets you know of are boring (or you have enough) – who really cares about certificates of deposit, Treasury bonds, and dividend stocks. If you wanted them, you would've gotten them by now (or you have and want even more diversification).

Today, you'll read about some truly interesting assets that you've probably never heard of before:

I will reference different websites and companies in this list as examples. I haven't used a single one of them. These are not endorsements.

1. Crowdfunded real estate

Crowdfunded real estate is a relatively new phenomenon. It's when you can invest in a little piece of real estate as part of a “crowd” of investors. This lets you diversify your real estate holdings without the work of buying and selling properties.

You have some companies, like RealtyMogul, that curate deals and offer you a piece of the investment. There are others, like Fundrise, that run funds that do the investing and you can buy shares of those funds. In both cases, you diversify your risk across several investments and can generate passive cash flow in the process (as well as equity appreciation).

If you aren't an accredited investor, here is a list of real estate investing sites for non-accredited investors.

2. Peer-to-peer lending

Peer-to-peer lending is older than crowdfunded real estate investing but follows the same principles. You act as a bank, lending money to borrowers, but are able to...

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How to Build Your Own Virtual Workout for You and Your Friends

Whether it is because one of you has moved across the country or because there's a global pandemic keeping you apart, you may miss gettin’ your sweat on with friends and fellow fitness enthusiasts. And while we all have access to a never-ending supply of online, virtual, or otherwise impersonal workouts, it’s just not the same without friends. 

Even if we are on opposite sides of the planet, we're still able to connect virtually.

That's where video or audio conferencing technology comes in. Even if we are on opposite sides of the planet, we're still able to connect virtually via apps like Skype, Zoom, FaceTime, Hangouts, Meet, Team, GoToMeeting, Connect, and the list goes on.

Yes, I know many of us already spend too many hours on those platforms for work. But that's all the more reason to use them to enhance our physical health and mental wellbeing rather than just as a way for your boss to make sure you are being productive and not playing Kwazy Cupcakes all day.

Social benefits of exercise

A scientific study published in the International Journal of Stress Management attempted to determine if the stress-reducing benefits of exercise are improved by exercising with others rather than alone.

Participants in this study exercised on a laboratory stationary bicycle for 30 minutes at moderate intensity either alone or with another person. A series of ANOVA procedures (analysis of variance) revealed that participants generally felt more energetic, calm, and less tired after any type of exercise (alone or with someone else). When exercising with someone else, the participants reported more calmness but also more tiredness.

The explanation the researchers came up with for the “more tiredness” factor was that there was a competitive aspect introduced when another person was present during exercise which led the participants to work out harder. So, more calmness and a better workout—sign me up!

More calmness and a better workout—sign me up!

Another study from 2016 found that “among older Japanese adults, although exercising alone and exercising with others both seem to have health benefits, increased frequency of exercise with others has important health benefits regardless of the total frequency of exercise.”

How does exercising virtually with friends fit into all this? I couldn't find any studies on whether or not exercising with a friend via a virtual portal conveys the same benefits as exercising with them in person...

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The Right Amount of Emergency Money to Keep in Cash

No matter if you call it, an emergency fund or a cash reserve, the idea is that we all need extra money set aside to stay safe from the unexpected. Not having enough cash on hand to pay for an emergency is why many people get into financial trouble. Having a safety net protects your finances and also gives you peace of mind. 

Life happens, and it usually costs money!

But knowing the right amount of emergency cash to keep can be confusing. Today, I'll answer several questions to help you figure out how much your emergency fund should be, the best place to put it, and whether you should invest it. 

Why have an emergency fund?

An emergency fund is a cash account earmarked to pay for the inevitable and unforeseen emergencies in life. Your car won't start. Your computer crashes. Your refrigerator quits. You get sick. You lose your job or business income. Life happens, and it usually costs money!

When you have an unexpected large expense or your income dries up, you need a cash cushion to fall back on to stay healthy and safe. Otherwise, you'll have to make serious sacrifices or rack up debt on a credit card.

I compare an emergency fund to a moat surrounding a fort or castle to protect it from invaders. An emergency fund helps you stay safe from harmful problems that could invade your financial house. 

In general, it's best to keep emergency savings in an FDIC-insured bank account.

Since emergencies happen in a split second, you need cash in an account you can tap immediately. In general, it's best to keep emergency savings in an FDIC-insured bank account. Emergencies can't wait for a CD or bond to mature or for you to sell a valuable asset or a home to raise needed cash.

What if my savings account doesn't pay much or any interest?

I know that keeping a lot of money in a low or no-interest savings account can seem counterintuitive or feel frustrating. A podcast listener named Tena J. says:

I have a 401(k), and $30,000 in savings not making any interest. I know that I need to put this money somewhere to invest for retirement. What's your advice?

Thanks for your question, Tena. I recommend that you think about your emergency savings and your retirement investments as two separate buckets of money with different purposes. 

Even though we tend to use the terms saving and investing interchangeably, they're not the same. The difference has to do with taking a financial risk. You need an emergency savings account that is kept safe and entirely free from risk so it's there when you need it. But the purpose of investing is to put your money at some level of risk in exchange for future growth. Remember that there's always a tradeoff between financial risk and return....

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How to Succeed as an Introvert Working from Home

In March of 2020, according to a Slack report on remote work during Covid, approximately 16 million U.S. knowledge workers began working from home. And likely that number is even higher today.

In the early days of the pandemic, every extrovert I knew, myself included, went into panic mode. How, we wondered, would we keep our energy tanks full without the ability to refuel by interacting with humanity?

And at that same time, I watched many introverts celebrate the opportunity to work at home, laps piled high with blankets and dogs.

These observations are, of course, grand generalizations. But they do illustrate the experiences I watched people have.

Fast forward several months and introverts in my network are sharing that they’re feeling the strain right now. CNN reports that introverts make up 30-50% of the population. That’s a lot of people struggling! So if you identify as an introvert, let’s talk about some things you can do to maximize your experience of working from home for as long as it persists.

The world may be telling you we’re living in an introvert’s paradise, but I’m giving you permission to feel otherwise.

1. Recognize the challenge you may be having

Success can’t begin with a belief that you’ve already failed. So if you’re an introvert who’s struggling, start by recognizing that it’s OK to not be OK. Maybe you’re not living your best life right now, but that’s nothing to apologize for. Many of the things you might do to forge stimulating, introvert-friendly connections just aren't available in the time of covid.

Susan Cain, author of Quiet: The Power of Introverts in a World That Can’t Stop Talking, told Yahoo!:

While it's certainly true that… it's easier for introverts to stay home than it is for extroverts... each…has a sweet spot located with a very different amount of stimulation.

For Cain, an introvert herself, a favorite way to work is “alone together”—being in a situation where you can “feel the energy of other people around you but also have the freedom to go inside your own head.” An example of this would be working in a coffee shop surrounded by strangers, but this "alone together" dynamic is hard to replicate right now.

...

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5 Easy Ways for Busy Parents to Create More Me-Time

Tired of giving your precious time away to mundane chores, work obligations, and endless family responsibilities? Busy parents share a common goal of finding ways to free up their schedules. Here are five easy ways you can have that now and always!

When I was at home with eight young children, I longed for any tiny moment I could snatch for myself. Grocery shopping all by myself was one way I found respite in my otherwise chaotic schedule each week. Because of my long bout with infertility, once I was finally blessed with a small tribe, I felt guilty for wanting time away from them. But I knew I had to figure out smart ways to balance my time and energy so that I didn't end up burned out and resentful.

1. Rise and shine

I was able to turn my attitude and my schedule around with one simple adjustment—getting up earlier than the rest of my household. It wasn't easy at first, because I was exhausted from being up during the night with an infant (or two), but once this routine became sacred, I suddenly had an extra 15-plus hours a week to call my own.

Once this routine became sacred, I suddenly had an extra 15-plus hours a week to call my own.

Usually, I devote this time to physical exercise. Early morning power walks help keep my mind and body refreshed. I also catch up on my reading and writing. For over 20 years, I've protected this early morning time because it benefited my wellbeing. Now that my kids are older, I still rely on this ritual to focus on my needs, and I highly encourage you to give it a try for yourself.   

RELATED:  5 Ways That 'Selfish Parenting' Can Benefit Your Family

2. Plan your meals

When I was a stay-at-home mom with four kids under the age of three, something had to give! I had to be completely realistic and get creative with ways to sneak more time into my crazy schedule so we would flourish, not flounder. Other than changing diapers for a good part of the day, the other two areas that sucked up most of my time were laundry and cooking. My growing family was always going to need food on the table, so figuring out how to make mealtime easier was a no-brainer.

Figuring out meal...

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Penny Stocks 101: Complete Guide For Beginners

Penny stock trading has risen in popularity in recent years as investors want to find undervalued companies that are poised to skyrocket in size. Young investors in particular can get a head start on their retirement savings by wisely and carefully investing or trading penny stocks in 2021.

What are penny stocks?

There is no standard definition as to what constitutes a penny stock. Some argue the definition should be taken literally -- that is a penny stock refers to shares of a company that trades under $1 per share. Others expand the definition to include shares of a company trading below $5.

Penny stocks are shares that trade at $5 or less and are typically young companies with little to no revenue.

The vast majority of penny stocks belong to companies with a low valuation, sometimes even in the millions. Penny stock companies come from all sectors, ranging from retail, pharmaceutical, leisure, technology, etc.

Why are penny stocks so cheap?

Penny stocks are cheap for the simple reason that the underlying company has little to no reputation or track record. Many penny stock companies generate little revenue and haven’t yet demonstrated to investors a viable path to growth.

Penny stocks are cheap because there is little to no investor demand to buy shares of a company with no obvious path to growth.

Some penny stocks generate zero revenue as they are still in the pre-revenue phase of their business. This is mostly the case for the pharmaceutical industry where a drugmaker of therapies to treat a disease is years away from completing clinical trials. The company’s path towards success is far from guaranteed and the slightest setback could result in bankruptcy.

In other cases, companies that have existed for a long time can find their shares dip into penny stock territory. Remember BlackBerry? At its peak in the 2000s, the smartphone maker was the clear and dominant leader in the space. One out of every two smartphone users in the U.S. used a BlackBerry.

But as the company lost focus on the market and failed to respond to the growing competition, the stock absolutely collapsed from more than $130 in the late 2000s and was finally demoted to penny stock status in 2020.

How to find penny stock winners

Many investors view penny stocks as the ideal venue to discover winning investment ideas. Sure, buying Amazon’s stock above $3,000 per share when the company is already worth more than $1.5 trillion is a solid investment idea. If it grows 10% to 15% a year, investors will pat...

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How to Be Creative (According to Psychological Science)

Pop quiz: What can you use a brick for other than building a house? Think fast! Let’s see: Door holder, paper weight, helium balloon holder-downer, stepping stone. A very crude sundial needle?

What we just did is called the Alternate Uses Task, a psychology experimental task developed by psychologist J.P. Guilford in 1967. This was one of the earliest tools we had for measuring creativity. By asking you to come up with as many new uses for a common object as you can, it taps into not only your ability to generate ideas quickly but also whether your ideas are flexible, original, and useful.

Psychological science gives us some clues into where creativity comes from and how we can cultivate it.

But what is creativity, really? Is it a personality trait you’re born with? Or is it a skill you can develop? Do we always have some creativity flowing through us even for daily tasks, or do we get into a “creative headspace” during moments of inspiration? Nowadays, we no longer believe that creativity comes to us from the Muses of Ancient Greek mythology. Instead, psychological science gives us some clues into where creativity comes from and how we can cultivate it.

Tip #1: Don’t wait for inspiration—hunt it down

Research has shown that curiosity is associated with creativity. This makes perfect sense, because curiosity is the fuel we need to hunt down inspiration. Whether you’re a writer, scientist, dancer, architect, or programmer, you can’t get really good without standing on the shoulders of giants.

So, if you want to be a writer, read books. If you want to be an artist, look at art. If you want to invent cool gadgets, read patents that already exist. If your mind constantly steeps in other films, the good ones may rub off on you by giving you screenplay ideas of your own. The bad ones will teach you what doesn’t work so you can avoid wasting time going down the wrong avenues. You might also find that other filmmakers have all been missing something entirely, and that’s where your new idea comes in.

Tip #2: Just get started

Perfection is the enemy of progress, right? It’s the enemy of creativity too. If you wait for an idea to become fully formed, or even very good, before you start to make it a reality, you may be waiting for a very long time.

Persistence is the unglamorous side of creativity, but it’s also the only way to actually make something.

Instead, get to work. Write two crappy sentences a day in your “Crappy Writing” journal, and at some point, you’ll write the sentence to start your next...

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4 Ways to Get Started Writing Fanfiction

You can develop your fiction writing skills through all sorts of experiences, and (contrary to some advice floating around on social media) you don’t have to have a specialized degree to learn to be a great writer of any kind.  Communication skills are part and parcel in many fields, including the STEM industries, education, journalism, and any kind of administrative and white collar work that involves the all mighty pen (or computer!). And as you’re honing your skills at work, you’re also developing skills that will make you a better fiction writer. But today, we’ll talk about what can you learn through the casual writing hobby known as fanfiction.

Fanfiction, usually spelled as one word or affectionately referred to as “fanfic,” is defined as creative writing inspired by pre-existing media, whether it be books, television shows, games, films, or toy and media brands. In our age of longstanding franchises like Star Wars, Disney films, and the Marvel and DC comic book universes, it isn’t surprising that many people are drawn to creating their own stories based on their favorite characters and worlds.

Notable respected and award-winning science fiction and fantasy writers have also had their start writing fanfiction. Nebula and Mythopoeic Fantasy Award-winning author Naomi Novik, for example, is also the founder of fanworks website “Archive of Our Own.” Other famous writers, such as Hugo Award-winning fantasy writer Seanan McGuire, “New York Times”-bestselling author Lev Grossman, and bestselling queen of YA fiction Meg Cabot, have also talked about their past dabblings in fanfiction before writing their own original works.

Even if you have no experience writing or creating fanworks, there is still a lot to learn from fanfiction writing culture that you can apply to your “original fic.” 

1. Fall in love with your romantic tropes

While romance is its own genre and market with a specific set of standards, fanfiction writing culture has adapted the romance genre’s tropes and applied them to stories about superheroes, manga and anime stars, battle-hardened warriors, and space adventurers. Since most pre-existing media tends to focus heavily on the action of the story, a lot of space is left in the margins for fanfiction writers to speculate on the more emotional side of their characters.

Hence, in fanfiction culture, readers get addicted to reading the romantic tropes about their favorite pairing (also known as their “ship” — short for “relationship”). In fact, some tropes have become so common in fanfiction, they have increased in popularity for genre books of all types. Some...

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Leaving Your Dog Home Alone

Once upon a time, in the perhaps somewhat legendary past, dogs spent their days outdoors, working at their humans’ sides. Cue the theme from “Lassie.”

Tips for Leaving Your Dog Home Alone

These days, if someone has to leave the house for a reason beside a walk, they have to leave their dogs home alone. Often they’re bored and lonely. Fortunately, we can help that time pass easily — without spending a lot of money.

Here's a preview of the different solutions we'll discuss below. 

1. Tire your pup out
2. Keep your pup busy
3. Hire a professional
4. Never leave your pup alone outside
5. Watch out for separation anxiety!

Make ’Em Tired

The best thing you can do for your home-alone dog is supply some good, hard, first-thing-in-the-morning exercise. You saw that coming, right? How much exercise — and what kind — depends on your dog’s age, fitness, body type, and state of health, and also on the weather. Is your dog old, arthritic, and short-nosed, or is she an adolescent Border Collie mix? Is it 90 degrees out, 15, or 55? Check with your vet if you have questions about your dog’s exercise tolerance. The result you’re looking for is that your dog gets home and flops down on his bed to snooze.

For most dogs, running, trotting, and sniffing are ideal, because they supply not only varied physical exercise, but mental stimulation as well.

Keep ’Em Busy

Next, put away your dog’s food bowl and use food-dispensing toys instead. Some toys — such as the Kong — can be stuffed. I often suggest a mixture of half canned and half dry food. For champion chewers, freeze the stuffed toy until it’s hard, so as to make a long-lasting excavation project. Other toys release dry food piece by piece when the dog knocks or pushes them around. Some of these toys offer variable difficulty levels, so you can frustrate your dog just enough to keep her active and engaged. Did you forget to wash out the food toys from the day before? Then take your dog’s entire breakfast ration of dry food and scatter it on the floor as you leave the house. Successful foraging is most dogs’ idea of a good time.

Do test-drive chew toys when you’re home and can supervise. Many food-dispensing toys will stand up to all but a minority of jaws, but others aren’t suited to hardcore...

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