When it comes to organizing our possessions throughout the year, as well as during the holiday season, the easiest piece of advice I can offer is to have less stuff. The holidays are right around the corner, and I urge others to focus on our people, not our stuff. The past several years have been...

When I was a college student, I was living in a fifth-floor walk-up apartment in downtown Iowa City. The apartment was on the top floor of a converted seminary/converted office building and, consequently, had a tiny kitchen — maybe 6-feet long by 3-feet wide, but my very first. And it was here that I began...

In a world where women play diverse and crucial roles, their health and well-being should be a top priority. Nutrition, as a foundational aspect of overall health, is particularly significant for women. A well-balanced diet can help women navigate the unique challenges they face, from hormonal fluctuations to various life stages. The use of nutrition...

Comedian Steve Martin once said, “Those French — it’s like they have a word for everything!” Charcuterie is one of those words. The art of pairing meats and cheeses with all kinds of delectable accompaniments is derived from the French words “chair” (flesh) and “cuit” (cooked). In 15th century France, the word was used to...

For me, holiday parties always impart a warm, cozy feeling of getting together with friends, family and neighbors. But hosting such a party can be stressful, expensive and time-consuming, which defeats the whole warm and cozy philosophy. My solution is a holiday open house. The idea behind this easy-to-pull-off gathering is that there is no...