Dream following: that one time when I had a dream and went on an adventure
One June morning a few years ago, I woke up from a very vivid dream that laid out my plans for the day. In the dream, I’d gone back to the property where my childhood best friend lived, back on my hometown of Bainbridge Island. Like much of the Island in reality, in my dream the land had been completed developed and was almost unrecognizable. I woke up motivated.
My favorite tips for creating the online calendar system of your dreams
For years, I insisted on using a paper planner to keep track of my schedule. When my husband finally convinced me to try Google Calendar instead, I was an instant convert. Now I’m a flat-out evangelist. For my fellow schedule-lovers, here are some of my favorite tips for creating the online calendar system of your dreams…
Distance? Need? Ability? What makes a person a runner?
I started running reluctantly. I’m a doctor, and everyday I tell people to exercise. After giving people this advice for a month or two, and completely neglecting to engage in any physical activity myself, I started to feel guilty and hypocritical. I made the decision to start running. Both before and after I starting running, people would ask me if I’m a runner. I would smile uncertainly and ponder how to respond. Were they asking because of my body type? Was there something they recognized in my energy that identified me as a runner? Did my two mile runs make me a runner? To me, this barely counted for anything, although I knew that I felt better about myself and my life when I ran.
How an ice storm inspired me to rainbow-ify the exterior of my home
I have been spending a lot of my time working on the inside of my house. [Editor’s note: Remember Sara’s living room, rainbow ceiling, and geeky kitchen light makeover?] But recently I started thinking about what I wanted the OUTSIDE of my home to look like. What do you think I would do if I couldn’t decide on a color? Use them all!
Deer lawd — the easiest way to keep deer from eating your tulips
Here in the U.S., we have a lot of deer. So many in my area that we often see them chilling by the side of the road like it ain’t no thing. And for those of you who grow flowers in your garden, you might know that they enjoy eating the fine delicacy that is your colorful tulips. Here’s my favorite way to keep them from chowing down.
4 tips on using an X-Acto knife without it ending in bloodshed
I remember when I took my first class at college, the first thing the professor did was show us how to use an X-Acto properly and how to cut a mat board. She went over every detail, told us to be extra careful because they are sharp little bastards. And what happens? Not five minutes later, a girl cuts open her hand and, as I later found out, had to get stitches and couldn’t work with that hand for a while. So here are a few little tips for other DIYers. I’m mostly just wanted to address common things I’ve seen done that end in injury.
Three ways to power up and get the jump on your chore list
I used to freaking hate doing the dishes — to the point where I seriously considered buying new dishes instead of cleaning the ones that have been sitting for way too long. Now, I almost look forward to it. How did my outlook change so completely? Did I have a frontal lobotomy? Nope! I came up with some easy ways to trick my brain into realizing that doing the dishes isn’t so bad. These mind hacks are applicable to a range of chores and items on your to do list. Use what works for you, and share your own in the comments!
Make your own Mandrake
My fiancé and I finished making our very own Mandrake to use as a centerpiece. I’m pretty stoked on how he turned out, and I thought I’d share with you how we did it.