Maria Recommends

The Importance of Just Sitting (and 5 Ways to Do It Well)

The Importance of Just Sitting (and 5 Ways to Do It Well)

Sometimes the best thing you can do for yourself is sit down and relax.

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My Top 10 Favorite Magazines

My Top 10 Favorite Magazines

Last week was the annual American Magazine Conference, where the titans of the industry get together and commiserate about whatever crises face us—which are perpetual and ongoing. And with the incessant tribal drumbeat of the online/digital world, it’s hard to remember sometimes that magazines are still loved. By people, at least. And it got me […]

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B&H–One of the Greatest Sites in Manhattan

B&H–One of the Greatest Sites in Manhattan

BHPhotovideo.com I first learned about B&H Photo, Video & Pro Audio from a mentor who worked at PBS (WNET in New York).  B&H is right across the street from the WNET offices, and I went there to buy my first professional camera—this was about 16 years ago, and sad to say, it was a film […]

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You Are Not a Gadget…Are You?

You Are Not a Gadget…Are You?

For those of us in the “old media business,” it may be hard to see and understand why, how, and what is really happening around us in the digital “space.” If you want a clear, cold dose of reality (and I’m not talking virtual), read Jaron Lanier’s book You Are Not a Gadget. Jaron is […]

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The Importance of Taking a Vacation

The Importance of Taking a Vacation

I am taking a vacation, and I’m not going to apologize for it. There’s never a good time. There’s always more work to be done, and things to be cleaned up and organized at home. Always. But studies have shown that people who take vacations are healthier and live longer than people who don’t, and […]

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Top 10 Reasons to Sign Up for My Newsletter + Giveaway

Top 10 Reasons to Sign Up for My Newsletter + Giveaway

I’ve been blogging for about two years now, and it’s time to step up my game—with a newsletter! I really love blogging. It’s the perfect creative outlet for all my diverse interests—whether it’s organic tirades, utterly simple and yummiful recipes, or insights into my eclectic reading and musical tastes. And whether you read these posts […]

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Top 10 Tips for Traveling Well

Top 10 Tips for Traveling Well

I’ve been doing a lot of traveling lately. Too much! Well, it wouldn’t be too much if I were going on vacations with my family—preferably to warm, sunny places. But no, it’s to places for work, accompanied by semi-relentless schedules and not enough time to explore and relax. As a result, I’ve fairly mastered the […]

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My Top 10 Favorite Flowers

My Top 10 Favorite Flowers

Now that gardening season has returned in full force, it’s time to revel in the glorious abundant beauty of nature (unless, that is, she is thrashing us with her rages). One of my favorite things about the spring-and-summer season is flowers.  So I’ve made a list of my favorites, and why I adore them. Peonies: […]

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