This weekend was a perfect fall weekend. We kicked it off with soccer (see what I did there?) and friends on Friday. Then Saturday we tried a new hike in Elkin, NC. It began at the cutest winery and felt more like walking through my Nannie’s field and woods in rural Georgia than a mountain, and in the best way. The Vineyard Trail, Mountain to Sea Trail, and Carter Falls is 3.9 miles out and back hike that first leads you through a trail decorated with fairy houses every so often, a cute campground that decorated their trail with Halloween decorations, then to a wide, peaceful waterfall. The weather was perfect and the kids did great with the length, as...
Family photos are a great way to preserve memories. Time flies very quickly, and children grow by leaps and bounds. Don’t let sweet memories go by without documentation. Family portraits are a chance to capture pleasant moments spent with loved ones. And it doesn’t matter if you want to make a memory wall or just put a photo in an album. After all, there will be a moment with you forever. However, a family photoshoot can be a complicated task both for the family and sometimes for the photographer. To carry it out successfully and easily, you should know some gimmicks. In this article, we’ll share some tips on how to make a great family photoshoot. You will learn how...
Most people nowadays do not have the luxury of having lots of free time because of their hectic lifestyle. However, no matter how busy they are, there are still people who have some spare time to devote to their hobbies or interests. Some like to use this time to chill out and take a breather, while others prefer to be more productive. Here are some great ideas to use your valuable free time wisely. Find a new hobby Starting a new pastime is an exciting and enjoyable way to pass the time. When your children were younger, you probably realized that you did not have enough time to pursue your own interests. After the kids have gotten older, you will...
We’ve all seen TV shows and movies featuring coaches with hearts of gold, but usually they have a gruff exterior. But in the popular TV series Ted Lasso we see a coach who’s gentle, compassionate and sweet through and through. His unshakeable kindness to everyone is like a warm hug every time we see him. That may be a big part of the appeal of the series. According to a study that Kindness.org commissioned from Oxford University, “The more you engage in kindness, the greater your wellbeing, compassion, trust, positivity about humanity, and connection.” Therapists often recommend that people who are depressed or even suicidal take up volunteer work as a way of showing themselves that they add value to...
CURMUDGUCATION: ICYMI: No Staff Shortage Here Edition (10/24)No Staff Shortage Here Edition The advantage of having the Curmudgucation Institute operated with a staff of one, unpaid, is evident at times like these. I would give me a raise, but the Institute can't afford to stretch our budget of $0.00. I mention this because we all need to be periodically reminded that all one needs to be a policy spokesperson, think tank, or important activist group, is one person, a point of view, and access to the interwebz. Speaking of which, here are the reads from the week. Warning--we have several Washington Post items this week, so if you're burning free views there, you may want to peruse the list and...
