I do that with vodka and vanilla beans. My easy method: take 3-4 vanilla beans (depending on the size of your container), slit them down the middle length-wise, use a knife to slide out the tasty soft middle of each bean and put it into a medium-sized bottle (I use one recycled from maple syrup). Put the remaining…

When I had surgery a few years ago, I asked my husband for coloring books for the hospital. They were perfect for when I was too drugged, tired, or pained to read. Plus, he got me the awesome 128 color Crayola pack with sharpener; kindergarten me would have been so jealous!

The big barrier to decluttering for my husband and I has always been how to get rid of things that are still useful. We’ve donated things here and there, but we both have some social anxiety and really hate dealing with strangers. So, last year we held a “No Sale Yard Sale” to avoid pricing our stuff, haggling, and…

Because people who are heavy because of health issues don’t wear a sign that says that. This bitch doesn’t know why the people she’s mocking are really fat; she doesn’t know their stories. She doesn’t know if it’s hormonal or due to an illness or if it’s a coping mechanism for childhood abuse (very common) or any…

Now I have a band to check out! Thanks for sharing... I live under a rock and hadn’t heard it, but it’s a nice evolution from my Sleigh Bells addiction a few years ago.

Learn from this, Germany! I don’t grok why Germans are so big on homeopathy and “natural remedies”. I got a nasty cold there in spring and the Apoteke gave me herbal cough syrup that did nothing but make my breath smell like a head shop. My local friend said that the lack of OTC Robitussin was because of German…

Dammit. I’ve done my best to stay current on music, fashion, pop culture, yada yada yada, but it seems I’ve officially fallen off that train. Who the hell are these people?!?! I think I recognized 25%. Sure, I’m in my 40s and don’t have kids, but man....

I had to reply just because your grandfather sounds so much like mine, except.... Mine did tours in Europe and the Pacific in WWII and he was a Golden Gloves boxer. Small, tough, and a drunk. I was his oldest granddaughter and to me, he was the dream Grandpa: giving me little gifts for no reason, raiding his garden…

Yes! Spent a month in and around Germany this spring, seeing many a muscular fellow rocking lederhosen — the hunkiest pairing them with t-shirts and tattoos — and I might have developed a bit of a... thing... I think my husband is happy because this is more possible for him than my previous obsession with the thighs…

Back in the old days (early ‘80s), we were taught these in mandatory 7th grade home economics. A third of the year was in home ec (basic kitchen measurements and cooking, nutrition, and hand-sewing a stuffed animal), a third of the year was in wood shop (I still have a shelf, cutting board, and plexiglass note holder…

When I was a superficial, judgmental teenager (redundant?), I thought the world would end when my mom wore sleeveless shirts that showed her arm flab, moles, and other weird skin spots.

Lavender. Pretty enough to put in the front flowerbeds, bees love it, it can be used in foods, crafts, and homemade cosmetics, and I can’t resist running my fingers through it whenever I walk by.

It’s worth getting to know the plants in your yard. Last year we realized that the huge fungus that grows on the exposed roots of our old oak tree each October was actually highly valued Hen of the Forest mushroom. We harvested 17 lbs of mushrooms, just a few steps from the backdoor, and they’ve been delicious.

Easy apple jelly is another use for peelings. I learned this recipe from my grandmother’s 1948 edition of The Wise Encyclopedia of Cooking. Take peels and cores, cover them with cold water (I add some whole allspice), cook until tender, strain well. Add 1/2 to 3/4 cup white sugar for each cup of juice. Stir and boil…

Reading this as I’m getting up the gumption to bike to the studio for my yoga class. Thanks for saying it. I hate getting sweaty. I hate exercising. My body functions much better when I do both, however, so off I go...

Actually, I don't know how common that is. I was diagnosed with PCOS when I had menorrhagia (heavy bleeding for months, non-stop) at 25. On several recurrent episodes in the following 15 years, I never had any tests other than a cervical biopsy and standard PAP tests.

As a sturdy, 60 lb pit bull, she might be able to handle the winters, but she's a sunbather by nature. Happiest when it's in the 80s or over and she's sprawled in the sun, tanning her belly (I never knew there was sunscreen for dogs until I had to get some for her nose and ears!). She seems to love her sweaters and…

Look, a "wedding ring" isn't just useful for dissuading creepy guys who might have sexual assault in mind, so can stop debating that bullshit in the comments? A ring suggests that you have another person traveling with you, for a single traveler of either sex. Period. It might dissuade some criminals, but it's…