by guest blogger Maya Rodale. My listening to Christmas music is usually limited to whatever is playing in the shops or whatever is on the soundtrack to holiday-themed romantic comedies, which means it’s basically limited to that Mariah Carey song (you know the one I’m talking about!). But these are the very few that I have purchased and played around the house to get into the spirit of things…
Random Thoughts
Where I Stand on Guns
I am a liberal. But I also support the right to bear arms and the Second Amendment. I grew up in gun clubs and around hunters. I am not afraid of the idea of guns and don’t believe they should be banned—although the best hunters I know prefer bow and arrow (and there is no need for assault rifles when hunting). HOWEVER, that doesn’t mean guns shouldn’t be more strictly controlled…
6 Shareable Gifts People Will Love
By guest blogger Wendy Gordon. I’m a cautious shopper by nature, but the holidays make me more so. As I’m not big on stuff, I tend to favor gifts people can and will use. And by “use” I mean “up,” “often” or “over a lifetime.” So I’m a big giver of consumables, anything from homemade cookies, jams, or dipping oils to a nice bottle of wine, a fruit-of-the-month-club subscription, even some nice bath soaps and lotions. And the best gifts to give are things that allow people to share. Here are some of my favorite ideas for shareable gifts:
If the World Ends…
I’m not typically apocalyptic. And I don’t really believe the world will end on December 21, 2012. But it’s interesting to think about what I would do, or not do, if it were true…
Only a Race?
by guest blogger David Willey. For me at least, there was no calm before the storm, and certainly none after it. Hurricane Sandy hit in the middle of the most surprising and intense two weeks of my running life. Over 17 days, I experienced in vivid detail the uniquely unifying power of running—or at least running races—as well as the limits of that power.
Best Green Gift Ideas
by guest blogger Maya Rodale. This blog is brought to you by my love of shopping…as well as my love of useful, environmentally friendly things.
5 Surprising Winter Health Tips
by guest blogger, Mark A. Moyad. Here are my favorite tips for staying physically, mentally, and emotionally healthy during the winter months. (Vacation not included!) These 5 simple suggestions are things anyone can do easily and inexpensively to stave off the winter blues and sniffles.
The Great Staycation Writing Retreat
I do my best writing when I’m alone in hotels. In other words, when I am free from the needs, interests, and schedules of other creatures (husband, dog). When I can get into the groove and stay there, I am capable of writing insane quantities in a short period of time. But it’s expensive. So when my husband went out of town on business for a week, I took the opportunity to recreate those productivity-inducing conditions at home, on the cheap. Here’s what I did:
Scratch
Raised on America’s first organic farm, Scratch author Maria Rodale learned how to make everyday favorites from, yes, scratch — the way you remember them; the way they turn out best.
Order NowOrganic Manifesto
Drawing on findings from leading health researchers as well as conversations with both chemical and organic farmers from coast to coast, Maria Rodale irrefutably outlines the unacceptably high cost of chemical farming on our health and our environment.
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