Category: Uncategorized
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Invasive vs. Aggressive: Plants That Don’t Want to Die
One day I was outside picking some chives, when a neighbor walked by my yard and told me, “You can’t grow those dandelions and milkweed, they’re invasive!” Of course, I knew they weren’t. Not only is milkweed native, neither of the plants are listed as invasive or noxious in our city or state. But how…
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Wild Sunflower: Weed or Worthy?
Wild or common sunflower (Helianthus annuus) is a native plant in most of North America and all of the United States. This is the plant from which we have bred large annual garden sunflowers grown for cut flowers, seeds, and pure bragging rights. In Iowa, the plant is listed as a noxious weed. Now, Iowa…
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Hiking Trails In and Around Sioux Falls, SD
As part of our yearly hiking training schedule, I often refer to a spreadsheet to make sure the parks I’m considering for that day’s hike have enough miles of trails. I thought it would be nice to share this information on the internet, especially for the newcomers to the area. I know there isn’t much…
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My Most Exciting Hiking Story Yet
Saturday, April 30, 2022, my friend Rose and I ventured out to Golden Gate Canyon State Park for a hike. It was late when we got there. I would have liked to go in the morning. I was waiting for everyone else, but by like 1:00 PM, I realized that most of them didn’t even…
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You Seem Smart, Why Don’t You Work?
I saw a lovely neurologist today. He was young, and smart, and kind, and we discussed what may be keeping me awake at night. The thing that keeps racing around my head after the visit, though, was how perplexed he was that I seem intelligent but don’t work. “You’ve never worked in the medical field?…
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Spontaneity and Joy – Don’t Wait for the Stars to Align, Just Go For It
Today I had to travel a couple hours away for a food forest consultation. On the way there I drove by a state park I haven’t visited before. It looked like it might be pretty nice. Luckily, the meeting ended early enough that I was able to stop by the park on the way home….
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21 Time Saving Cleaning Hacks You Can Start Today
We all love cleaning, right? Just kidding. But it does have to be done, and you can do it more quickly with these time-saving hacks. These are the lazefficient techniques I use, but I’m sure you have more tips to add in the comments. Dusting and Floors 1. Dust dart After you’ve finished washing or…
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What if You’re Not Sad that Your Child Has Started School?
I’ve been waiting (longing) for this day since we made the decision. Both my boys are amazing, smart, wonderful people, and I love them both from the bottom of my heart. They are also very different people. Dylan was always very easygoing and happy. Forrest required much more of me; he still does. I stayed…
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Multi-use Clothing: The Turkish Towel
I’ve been loving multi-use clothing and accessories lately. And why not? Own fewer items, spend less money, less clutter, and fewer decisions to make. It’s very freeing. Let’s talk about the Turkish Towel. I purchased this Riviera Towel Company towel from Amazon, but their website has even more options. “Santa Barbara-based, Riviera Towel Company was…
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27: If you believe strongly enough
I decided in my mid 20’s, while finishing my undergraduate late as single mother, to move to my current city because I thought I’d be better able to find a job in my degree. I started dating and became engaged to a boy who lived here, and when I graduated I moved straight in with…
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Is college still a must for kids in today’s world? Or are we starting to drift away from it?
Honestly I think it still just depends. It depends on a lot of things. It always has, but one huge factor that has changed the game is the internet and the vast amount of information that can be extracted from it. From the internet you have access to purchase any nonfiction book or textbook you…
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What if you’re in your 30’s and haven’t found the right career?
Recently, a fellow group member asked this question: “Raise your hand if you’re 30 (or in your 30s) and not yet in your right career, financially unstable, or generally feeling like you haven’t found the right track yet for where you wanna go and who you’re supposed to be? I felt like my 20s would guide…
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Making Sustainability Cool
I tend go back and forth between wanting to fit in and wanting to not fit in. At first, it may sound odd that someone would want to be a misfit, but hear me out. You see, humans have always wanted to find a common bond with one another. We’re social creatures; it’s natural. But at some…