Virginia’s Severe Weather Awareness Week will be observed March 6 – 10, just in time for the unpredictable spring storm season. But late winter/early spring weather can negatively affect all of us, so we’re fortunate the Old Dominion State is willing to share some tips with us. Hosted by the VA Depa...

Cole crops is the general term used to describe broccoli, Brussels sprouts, cabbage, cauliflower, collards, kale and kohlrabi. Harvesting these vegetables at the right stage of maturity results in nutritious, high quality produce – which is awesome news for February 17, National Cabbage Day! It almo...

January 27 is National Have Fun at Work Day, and if that sounds impossible, it’s not. Really! Don’t wait for fun and joy to come to you. Sometimes you have to create it yourself, and that’s okay. We’ve all played games to make tedious or tough activities pass faster. How many bales can you throw in ...

We should preface this by saying these are just fun days to celebrate – we are not suggesting you convert from your faith! It’s always fun to mix up the calendar and try something new, right? With that in mind, we humbly present St. Dwynwen’s Day, the Welsh version of Valentine’s Day. Pronounced Dwu...

Whether your office is in a traditional workspace or tucked away in a spare room at home, practicality rules and, above and beyond all else, your office is a place for productivity. That often means a computer, printer and related equipment, along with a lot of paper and hard surfaces. Adding someth...

Hardy green vegetables are exactly what we need when it’s still gray and dark out there. Fortunately, January is Artichoke and Asparagus Month! According to National Today , the following is the history of the two veggies: “Also known as globe artichoke, green artichoke or French artichoke, an artic...

There’s a great article by Tara Parker-Pope that ran in the New York Times on the science behind hobbies and choosing a hobby. The long and the short of it: it’s enriching for your mental and emotional and physical health. And January is National Hobby Month! An article from the Mental Health Extens...

In what I find to be a hilarious case of “what goes around, comes around,” during the holiday season I have noticed online retailers sending out physical, glossy-papered catalogues so kids could circle with real pens, pencils and crayons what they wished for. That Toys ‘R’ Us mailer was always a hit...

We know it’s a bit cliché, but seriously, doesn’t everybody love bacon? Just thinking about it means you can imagine its unique aroma filling your nostrils. Maybe you can even pretend to taste it on your tongue. Our sense of smell is the only one of our senses that allows us to observe the past. Rem...

I don’t remember the first Christmas season that I tried eggnog. I was a bit of a picky eater as a child, so I’m imagining it wasn’t too early on. Once I tried it, I was hooked. It’s like Christmas in a cup. And it’s celebrated on Dec. 24 with National Eggnog Day! Most of the store-bought eggnogs ar...

Morrill Worcester, owner of Worcester Wreath Company of Harrington, Maine, was a 12-year-old paper boy for the Bangor Daily News when he won a trip to Washington, D.C. His first trip to our nation’s capital was one he would never forget, and Arlington National Cemetery made an especially indelible i...

Mistletoe may be a welcome holiday sight when hung over a doorway if a loved one is near. Still, it can be an unwelcome intruder when found in your trees, according to a Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service horticulturist. “Mistletoe is a hemiparasite – a semi-parasitic plant,” said Allison Watkins,...

Did you know there are 1.3 million registered snowmobiles in the U.S.? And that the economic impact of the snow machines is around $26 billion annually? Snowmobiling is a big deal if you live in a region fortunate enough to receive enough snow to make the season happen. According to the Internationa...

The things that you learn doing research! December is National Pear Month and so, in thinking of the fruits, my mind immediately latched on to the first lyric from “The Twelve Days of Christmas.” But why was the partridge in a pear tree? It was speculated more than a century and a half ago that “pea...

The daylight hours keep growing shorter, and the days are flying by. Before you know it, the holidays will be here. If you have a gardener (or garden lover) on your holiday gift list, you may be wondering what might make them smile during a season when the garden is buried beneath snow. For new gard...