This mild winter hasn't been as drying as many winters in the past, but it's still taken a toll on many folks' skin. A good moisturizer is important in maintaining skin health and comfort in dry weather, and everyone's preferences are different. What do you use for your moisturizer of choice? Share your favorite products in the chat.
If you're wondering why there seem to be so many more bills, laws, and other legislative action in the news lately, it's because the legislative season has begun. This means that many representatives and senators are proposing and voting on pieces of legislation that will affect many of us. Luckily there are a lot of advocacy groups and nonprofit organizations to keep us abreast of the most important pieces, and Moms Rising is one of them. The organization just sent out some important laws we should know about and act on this week, including:
As usual, this week is filled with lots of political action to take. Do you know of something to share? Be sure to post it in the chat and share these with friends. Here are just a few actions to take this week.
The trend of cloning pets is still going on, and now those pets are becoming Instagram famous. ViaGen, the company that cloned Barbara Streisand’s dog, Sammie, is charging people an incredible amount of money to clone their furry best friends--$35,000 for cats and $50,000 for a dog.
Now that Valentine's Day is over, many people are returning to avoiding too much sugar for health reasons or personal preferences. Luckily there are still plenty of ways to enjoy sugar-free desserts. A spoonful of peanut butter topped with sugar-free chocolate chips or a quick sugar-free fudge or cheesecake will often hit the spot, but many people do enjoy something a bit more complex.
Okay 2022, you need to back off our frogs. Giving Cuban tree frogs in Florida deadly parasites is NOT cool. The frogs, which are becoming an invasive species in the state, are being used as vehicles by rat lungworm. As one might guess, the disease is commonly carried by rats, but now it's hopping on frogs, and it's dangerous to both humans and their pets.
The 80s are bigger than they may have ever been lately, with various shows, movies, fashion, and even songs nodding back to the decade. Even Gen Z is getting in on the 80s love, and given the fact that Stranger Things will be returning this year, we may see an even bigger surge of 80s support. The biggest theme that seems to be circulating right now is 80s cult classic films.
This year just hasn't had as much downtime for reading as I'd like. Looking at my previous years, I've noticed that I usually read 3-4 times as many books by now. I'm volunteering nearly as many hours as I work these days, which is rewarding but does take away time from leisure activities. That said, I have an obnoxious pile of books from the library waiting for me patiently, and I'd love to hear what's in yours!
This weekend, my family and I are finally going to be able to meet up for another game night, which we haven't had since Christmas. We are so excited to see each other and we're all trying to plan the best games to bring. This list of great games to play looks promising--I'm a fan of Sushi Go and Codenames, but as much as I love Taboo, my sister and I are banned from playing it because we can speak in code words that no one else can understand and we always win!
For a super fun Valentine's piece (note the sarcasm), CNN Health ran an article about how not only are Americans having less sex than ever, but they are also less likely to get married and or find partners than ever as well. This sounds alarming, but given the fact that the divorce rate is also dropping, perhaps it's a reflection of good things.
Variety has a piece on Grateful Dead fidget toys, and while the shape isn't my favorite type of fidget toy (I have a spinner on my desk), I must agree that it is the cutest fidget cube I've ever seen! It features the Steal Your Face design but it also has this really pretty scrollwork on the sides, which somehow makes it look more upscale while still on-brand.
When thinking about leaving the show, Alex Borstein of Family Guy has a pretty simple test for the show to pass or fail: If it continues to be fresh and funny, and the writers can continually deliver, she'll stay on to voice Lois Griffin. If she's not "laughing out loud," though, watch out--she might take her leave!
Over the weekend, I tried my first CBD seltzer and wow, was it awesome. Not only did it help with the heavy anxiety I was feeling about doing activities with other people once again, but it tasted really great, too. I tried Mighty Kind's Orange Dream. If you like any kinds of carbonated water, like LaCroix, you'll probably really like this sugar-free seltzer, too. It's very light and refreshing.
Skinny Syrups provide people with an easy way to be their own at-home barista or bartender, so it's always exciting when the company offers a sale here and there. Right now Skinny Syrups is extending their Valentine's Day sale so folks can get 25% off select syrups. Since it's Valentine's themed, of course the syrups are all chocolate-based!
Free speech needs to have some kind of boundary. In many countries, if it enters the domain of hate speech, violence or something that could cause harm, it's illegal. That is how the U.S. should be about people hiding behind "free speech" in order to cause harm--such as the folks fronting fake clinics and misinformation about abortion.
While I've never used bat guano in the garden before, it certainly seems like a good source for natural nitrogen use. Dried bat guano is available for purchase through gardening supply stores like Gardens Alive, and it comes in a resealable pouch that's simple enough to use. Bat guano is safer to use for plants since it doesn't burn while still releasing nitrogen quickly, which sounds a lot better than using chicken poop!
Like the giant squid, the octopus has always fascinated me. In the BBC documentary film The Future is Wild, scientists speculated on which animals they believed would inherit the earth, and these creatures made the cut due to their resilience and intelligence, among other things. The creativity and intelligence of these animals has always wowed me, but sometimes the animals are just mind-boggling in and of themselves!
Citizen science projects are one of the most safe, enjoyable ways for us all to connect with one another, learn from each other and experience a nationwide (if not global!) sense of community. How wonderful that we can all be participating in an activity together at the same time to help benefit animals! The Great Backyard Bird Count begins this Friday, and for days we can all do just that with one another.
Now that Valentine's Day is over, lots of stores are offering their Valentine goodies at a discount. Do you remember very many Valentine's sales in the past? This isn't something I can recall, but today it definitely seems like a thing. Have you run across any post-Valentine's Day sales so far?
National Poetry Month (and National Poetry Writing Month!) are both just around the corner and I'm already on the lookout for some great poetry workshops, classes and events. Finding something online or outside is optimal for my family and our community, and I would love to find a class about connecting poetry with social justice movements. I love the idea of this Fighting Words Workshop and hope it's held again!
