February 24, 2024 Winston Junction was a hoppin’ and a boppin’ on Saturday, February 24, 2024. Rescue bunnies from Roberson Creek Farm were an irresistible attraction at the market, and the variety of friendly vendors with wonderful homemade products really put the cherry on the cake, not to mention the costumed dog show with the…
Pilot Mountain State Park’s Seasonal Faces: A Visual Run-Through (& Hike-Through)
Every single time in my life I have opted to go on a run or hike, the experience brightened my day, made me feel accomplished, enlightened me, or brought something good to my day in one way or another. While I am continuously forced to confront the tragic reality that I can’t spend every waking…
All-Natural Nourishing Winter Hand Cream – DIY Recipe
While the cold of the winter months can be invigorating, it is not very friendly to our temperamental human skin, especially if you’re a hands-on kind of person like I am. I wish I could hibernate for all six (or so) of the cold months of the year, like a bear or the distant ancestors…
Book Across the Bay: An event with unparalleled beauty, excitement, and community — and a fire-breathing dragon — on Lake Superior in Ashland, WI
Book Across the Bay is a magical multi-sport event trekking across a frozen bay of the largest lake in the world with live music, fireworks, a fire-breathing snow dragon, a sky full of stars, dumpster fires, food and drink, a path lined with beautiful candle-and-ice luminaries, and a wonderful sense of community. If you are…
Reduce, Reuse, Recycle, & Be Resourceful — Creative Reuse and Recycling
We’ve all heard of the three ‘Big Rs’—reduce, reuse, and recycle—established as easy-to-follow guidelines for practical sustainable living. These are so simple, but their value remains relevant. There are so many items that discretely litter our daily lives that do not live up to their potential for creative use, so I’ve added resourcefulness into the…
Lion’s Mane Mushroom Recipe, Part 2: Egg Drop Soup (Ovo-Vegetarian)
Since I wrote my last article on the health benefits of lion’s mane mushrooms, the grow-your-own kit from Midwest Grow Kits has already produced another bountiful harvest! All the engagement with the last post was wonderful, and I didn’t realize that so many friends, family members, and followers were such superfans of ‘shrooms. Since I…
Growing Your Own Lion’s Mane Mushrooms (& Lion’s Mane Taco Recipe)
Recently, I have been obsessed with growing and learning about a variety of useful plants and fungi, as well as essential oils, herbs, and other functional natural products that can really bolster human health! My dad has always been passionate about expanding his horizons in terms of gardening, plants, herbs, and exotic foods, and I…
Including Transgender Athletes in Sport: Reconceiving Fairness, Gender, & the Role of Sports In Society
Humanistic and empathetic trans perspectives in sports have been notoriously underemphasized in recent policies enforcing gender-based restrictions, which are often based on scientific misconceptions and cold oversimplifications. While concerns over this aspect of fairness in sport are sometimes coming from a well-intentioned place, this is a discussion that can have very real and very negative…
Realizing a Healthy Lifestyle by Discovering Our Unique ‘Middle Way’
Health is one of the few things that comes close to a universal value; most people want to be healthy! Sometimes we make choices that are more pleasing in the short-term but aren’t super healthy in the long-term, but the balance is something that we all strive for to not only stay alive, but to…
Reviving Our Social Lives After the Challenges of COVID-19
Now that COVID and the Midwestern winter both seem to finally be at a breaking point, with vaccines being distributed and the summer sun on the horizon, it’s about time for us to get excited about being able to rejoin our friends for beach days, quality time with family, and a much-needed sense of social…