Before the school year kicks in to high gear, it’s important to give yourself the tools needed for academic success and maximum organization. Here are six ideas to set up the perfect workstation: 1. Clear up clutter First, determine how you use items. If paperwork is referenced multiple times per week, store it on your...

The tri-states features an abundance of places to enjoy walking, hiking, biking, kayaking, canoeing and other fun outdoor activities. Dubuque maintains a 53-mile bike/hike trail system, which includes 28 miles of on-street route for biking and 25 miles of paved trails for walking, hiking and biking. Now that the weather is warmer, it’s time to...

Touring Kris and Scott Kelly’s garden is like entering their living room. “We kind of live out there,” Kris said of their garden at 984 Patricia Ann Drive. “We don’t have a living room or dining room. Our business is in our home and the house is small. So we spend a lot of time...

I think that I shall never see, a poem lovely as a tree, wrote poet Joyce Kilmer in his poem Trees. Trees add so much to the beauty of our city, yards and parks. They add value to our property and they have benefits which include cleaning the air, fighting air pollution and cooling down...

Kennie Harris Volunteers at: Dubuque Arboretum and Botanical Gardens. Favorite plant to grow: “I don’t have a favorite, but something I’ve learned a lot about are dahlias. They look so unglamorous when you dig them up. They’re this ugly brown, shriveled-up tuber. But they are a gorgeous flower, and they get really tall in the...

How does your garden grow? With weeds and nests and way too many pests? Or with perennials, juicy fruits and healthy, deep roots? Whether your green thumb is well-established or you’ve never picked up a spade, each spring and summer bring the opportunity to begin anew. Tyler Wagner, manager and maintenance director at Wagner Nursery...

For most of us, our landscaping and our vegetable garden (if we have one) are two separate entities. Landscaping — trees, bushes, perennial and annual plantings typically adorn the front of our homes, while the vegetable patch is relegated to the backyard. But who says is has to be that way? Edible landscaping is the...

The clocks moved forward a few weeks ago. That means it is time for you to move forward with your spring cleaning of closets. Bring efficiency and joy to your closets, spaces and belongings and de-clutter the chaos with the help of home organization expert Marty Basher, of Modular Closets. Before you begin, have a...

If you are like me, ladies, you hate to throw away several pair of jeans that no longer fit. Most women I know get stubborn about these things. Ladies want to believe that they are going to wake up next Tuesday and go on a serious diet. This time, they will not fail. This time,...

I’m not really a weather person. I don’t pay that much attention to forecasts or spend a lot of energy worrying about the weather. No amount of fretting or obsessively checking a weather app is going to change the outcome, so this is one worry I have just decided to let go. This year? This...

My calendar says that spring is just around the corner. I had a nice winter’s nap, and now, I’m expected to change gears in March and start mowing the grass. Oh, no. The lawn mower. I put a liquid in with the fuel last autumn. The mower was to start easily this spring. Well, that’s...